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•  V 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2018  with  funding  from 
Getty  Research  Institute 


https://archive.org/details/lifeinmexicoduri01cald_0 


LIFE  IN  MEXICO 


DURING  A 

RESIDENCE  OF  TWO  YEARS 


IN 


THAT  COUNTRY. 


By  Mme.  C- 


De  La  B- 


Thou  art  beautiful, 

Queen  of  the  valley  !  thou  art  beautiful  I 
Thy  walls,  like  silver,  sparkle  to  the  sun, 

Melodious  wave  thy  groves . 

Southey's  Madoc. 


IN  TWO  VOLUMES. 

VOLUME  I. 


BOSTON: 

CHARLES  C.  LITTLE  AND  JAMES  BROWN. 

1843. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1842,  by 
Alexander  D.  Inglis, 

In  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


boston: 

PRINTED  BY  FREEMAN  AND  EOLLES, 


WASHINGTON  STREET. 


The  present  work  is  the  result  of  observations 
made  during  a  two  years’  residence  in  Mexico,  by 
a  lady,  whose  position  there,  made  her  intimately 
acquainted  with  its  society,  and  opened  to  her  the 
best  sources  of  information  in  regard  to  whatever 
could  interest  an  enlightened  foreigner.  It  consists 
of  letters  written  to  the  members  of  her  own  family, 
and  really ,  not  intended  originally,  —  however  in¬ 
credible  the  assertion,  —  for  publication.  Feeling 
a  regret  that  such  rich  stores  of  instruction  and 
amusement,  from  which  I  have  so  much  profited, 
myself,  should  be  reserved  for  the  eyes  of  a  feAV 
friends  only,  I  strongly  recommended  that  they 
should  be  given  to  the  world.  This  is  now  done, 


IV 


PREFACE. 


with  a  few  such  alterations  and  omissions  as  were 
necessary  in  a  private  correspondence ;  and  al¬ 
though  the  work  would  derive  more  credit  from 
the  author’s  own  name,  than  from  anything  which 
I  can  say,  yet  as  she  declines  prefixing  it,  I  feel 
much  pleasure  in  making  this  statement  by  way  of 
introduction  to  the  public. 

WILLIAM  H.  PRESCOTT. 


Boston,  December  20,  1S42. 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER  THE  FIRST. 

Departure  of  the  “  Norma  ’’  —  Last  look  of  New  York  Bay 
—  Fellow  passengers  —  Contrary  winds  —  Deceitful  ap¬ 
pearances —  Sun-set  in  southern  latitudes  —  Seas  pas¬ 
sed  over  by  Columbus  —  Varied  occupations  on  ship¬ 
board —  Berry  Islands  —  Bahama  Banks  —  Evening  in  a 
Tropical  Sea — L.  E.  L.  —  Pan  of  Matanzas  —  Morro 
Castle  —  Bay  of  Havana  —  Arrival  —  Handsome  house 
in  Havana  —  Sights  and  sounds,  .....  1 

LETTER  THE  SECOND. 

Havana  aristocracy  —  Lucia  de  Lammermoor  —  La  Rossi 

and  Montresor  —  Brig  of  war — Countess  de  V - a  — 

Dinner  at  H - a’s  —  Southerly  winds  —  View  from  the 

balcony — Quinta  of  Count  V - a — San  Cristobal  — 

Mass  at  San  Felipe  —  Erard  Harp  —  Dinner  at  General 
M o’s  —  A  desert  at  Havana  —  Queen  of  Spain’s  birth¬ 
day —  Dinner  at  the  Yntendencia  —  La  Pantanelli  — 
Theatre  of  Tacon  —  Railroad  —  Cure  by  lightning  — 

Shops  —  Ball  at  the  Countess  F - a’s  —  Last  visit  — 

Souvenirs,  .  . . 16 

LETTER  THE  THIRD. 

Departure  in  the  Jason  —  Spanish  Captain  and  Officers  — 

Life  on  board  a  Man  of  War  —  “  Balances  ”  —  Fishing  — 

“  Le  petit  tambour  ”  —  Cocoa-nuts —  A  Norte  —  Spanish 
proverb  —  Peak  of  Orizava  —  Theory  and  practice  — 
Norte  Chocolatero  —  Contrary  winds — Chain  of  Moun¬ 
tains —  Goleta,  ........  2*6 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER  THE  FOURTH. 

Distant  View  of  Vera  Cruz  —  Pilots  —  Boat  from  the  city  — 
Mutual  salutes  —  Approach  to  Vera  Cruz — Crowd  on 

the  wharf — House  of  Don  Dionisio  V - o  —  Guard  of 

Honor  —  German  Piano  —  Supper  —  Madonna  —  Aspect 
of  the  City — Sopilotcs  —  Deliberations  —  General  Gua¬ 
dalupe  Victoria  —  Two-headed  Eagle  —  Dilapidated 
Saint  —  Plarp  —  Theatre  —  Dona  Innocencia  Martinez  — 
Invitation  from  General  Santa  Anna,  ...  36 

LETTER  THE  FIFTH. 

Departure  from  Vera  Cruz  —  Sand-hills  —  Oriental  scene  — 
Manga  de  Clavo  —  General  Santa  Anna  —  Breakfast  — 
Escort  and  diligence  —  Santa  Fe —  Puente  Nacional — 
Bridge  sketched  by  Mrs.  Ward  —  Country  in  December  — 

Don  Miguel  —  First  impressions  —  Fruit  —  Plan  del  Rio 
German  musicians  —  Sleeping  Captain  —  Approach  to 
Jalapa  —  Appearance  of  the  City  —  Cofrc  de  Pcrote  — 
Flowers  —  House  and  rock  —  Last  view  of  Jalapa  — 
Change  of  scenery — San  Miguel  de  los  Soldados  —  Pe- 
rote  —  Striking  scene  before  day-break  —  Non-arrival  of 
escort  —  Yankee  coachman  —  Dispute  —  Departure  — 
Company  of  lancers  —  Alcalde  —  Breakfast  at  La  Ven- 
tilla  —  Pulque  —  Double  escort  —  Crosses  —  Brigand-look¬ 


ing  tavern-keeper  —  Ojo  de  Agua  —  Arrival  at  Puebla  — 
Dress  of  the  peasants  —  Christmas  eve  —  Inn  —  “  Nacimi- 
ento ,”  . . 47 


LETTER  THE  SIXTH. 

Departure  from  Puebla  —  Chirimoyas  —  Rio  Frio  —  Indian 
Game  —  Black  Forest  —  Valley  of  Mexico  —  Recollec¬ 
tions  of  Tenochtitlan — Mexican  Officer  —  Reception  — 
Scenery  —  Variety  of  Dresses  —  Cheers  —  Storm  of  Rain 
—  Entry  to  Mexico  —  Buenavista  —  House  by  day-light  — 
Sights  from  the  windows  —  Visits  —  Mexican  Etiquette  — 

Countess  C - a  —  Flowers  in  December  —  Serenade  — 

Patriotic  Hymn, . 71 


CONTENTS. 


VII 


LETTER  THE  SEVENTH. 

DebCit  in  Mexico  —  Cathedral  —  Temple  of  the  Aztecs  — 
Congregation  —  Stone  of  sacrifices  —  Palace  —  Importu¬ 
nate  leperos  —  Visit  to  the  President  —  Countess  C - a 

—  Street  cries  —  Tortilleras — Sartor  Resartus,  .  .  90 

LETTER  THE  EIGHTH. 

Ball  in  preparation  —  Agreeable  family  —  Fine  voices  — 
Theatre  —  Smoking  —  Castle  of  Chapultepec  —  Viceroy 
Galvez  —  Montezuma’s  Cypress  - —  Vice-Queen  —  Valley 
of  Mexico  —  New  Year’s  day  —  Opening  of  Congress  — 
Visits  from  the  diplomatic  corps  —  Poblana  Dress  — 

“  Funcion  extraordinaria  ”  —  Theatre  —  Visit  to  the  Ca¬ 
thedral  of  Guadalupe  —  Divine  painting  —  Bishop  —  Beg¬ 
gars —  Mosquitoes’  eggs,  . . 101 

LETTER  THE  NINTH. 

Visits  from  Spaniards  —  Visit  from  the  President  —  Disqui¬ 
sition —  Poblana  Dress  —  Bernardo  the  Matador  —  Bull¬ 
fight  extraordinary  —  Plaza  de  Toros- — .Fireworks  — 

Portrait  of  C - n  —  Fancy  ball  —  Dress  —  Costume  of 

the  patronesses  —  Beauty  in  Mexico  —  Doctor’s  visit  — 
Cards  of  fair e  part —  Marquesa  de  San  Roman —  Toil¬ 
ette  in  morning  visits  of  ceremony  —  Attempt  at  rob¬ 
bery —  Murder  of  a  consul  —  La  Gtlera  Rodriguez  —  Dr. 

Plan — M.  de  Humbolt  —  Anecdote — -Former  customs,  116 

LETTER  THE  TENTH. 

San  Fernando  —  House  of  Perez  de  Galvez  —  A  removal  — 

Size  of  the  houses  —  Old  Monastery  —  View  by  sunset  — 
Evening  visits  —  Mexican  etiquette  —  Night-view  from 
the  Azotea  —  Tacubaya  —  Magueys  —  Making  of  pulque 

—  Organos  and  nopal  — -  Environs  of  Mexico  —  Miracle  — 

Hacienda  —  View  from  the  Countess  C- - a’s  house  — - 

Arzobispado  —  Anecdote  —  Comparative  view  of  beauty 

—  Indians  —  Rancheritas  —  Mexican  cordiality  — -Masses 

for  the  dead  —  San  Agustin  —  Form  of  invitation  — 
Death  of  a  senator  —  A  Mistake,  ....  137 


Vlll 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER  THE  ELEVENTH. 

Calle  tie  Tacuba —  The  Leap  of  Alvarailo  —  The  “Noche 
Triste.’’  —  Sale  of  a  curate’s  goods  —  Padre  Leon  — 
Leprosy  —  Pictures  —  The  annunciation  —  The  Alameda 
Paseo  de  Bucarelli  —  The  Viga  —  Indians  in  canoes  —  A 
murder  —  A  country  fete  —  Visit  to  the  Colegia  Viz¬ 
caino —  The  Jota  Arragonesa  —  Old  soldiers,  .  .  156 

LETTER  THE  TWELFTH. 

The  Viga  during  the  Carnival  —  Variety  of  equipages  — 

The  millionaries  —  The  monks  —  Masked  ball  —  An 
alarming  sight  —  Medical  students  —  Dinner  at  the  Prus¬ 
sian  minister’s  —  Rides  on  horseback  —  Indian  love  of 
flowers  —  Santa  Anita  —  The  Chinampas  —  Their  origin 
Indians  in  canoes  —  Song  of  “  El  Palomo  ”  —  Fighting  — 

The  great  lakes  —  The  Drain  of  Huehuetoca  —  The 
great  market  of  Tlatelolco,  .  .  .  .  .  171 

LETTER  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

Convent  of  San  Joaquin  —  Mexico  in  the  morning  —  Tacu¬ 
ba —  Carmelite  Prior  —  Convent  Garden  —  Hacienda  of 
Los  Morales  —  El  Olivar  —  A  Huacamaya  —  Humming 
birds  —  Correspondence  —  Expected  consecration  — 
Visit  to  the  Mineria  —  Botanic  Garden  —  Arbol  de  las 
Manitas  —  The  Museum  —  Equestrian  statue  —  Acad¬ 
emy  of  Painting  and  Sculpture  —  Disappointment,  .  1S7 

LETTER  THE  FOURTEENTH. 

Palm  Sunday  —  Holy  Thursday  —  Variety  of  costumes  — 

San  Francisco  —  Santo  Domingo  —  Santa  Teresa  — 
Nuns  —  Stone  bust  —  The  Academy  —  Religious  pro¬ 
cession —  Pilgrimage  to  the  churches  —  Santa  Clara  — 
Nun’s  voice  —  Orange-trees  and  rose-bushes  —  The  Ca¬ 
thedral  illuminated  —  Our  Savior  in  chains  —  Good  Fri¬ 
day  —  The  great  square  towards  Evening  —  Dresses  of 
men,  women  and  children  —  Approach  of  the  Host  —  Ju- 


CONTENTS. 


IX 


das  —  Great  procession  —  Miserere  —  The  square  by 
moonlight  —  A  lonely  walk  —  Sabado  de  gloria  —  Ball  in 
contemplation  —  Weekly  soirees  —  Embroidered  muslins 

—  A  Tertulia  at  home, . 197 

LETTER  THE  FIFTEENTH. 

Letter  from  the  Archbishop  —  Visit  to  the  “  Encarna- 
cion  ”  —  Reception  —  Description  —  The  novices  —  Con¬ 
vent-supper  —  Picturesque  scene  —  Sonata  on  the  organ 

—  Attempt  at  robbery  —  Alarms  of  the  household  —  Visit 

to  San  Agustin  —  Anonymous  letter  —  The  Virgin  de  los 
Remedios  —  Visit  to  the  chapel  —  The  padre  —  The  im¬ 
age  —  Anecdote  of  the  large  pearl  —  A  mine,  .  .  217 

LETTER  THE  SIXTEENTH. 

Mexico  in  May  —  Leave  Mexico  for  Santiago  —  Coach  of 
Charles  Tenth  —  Mexican  travelling  —  General  aspect 
of  the  country  —  Village  of  Santa  Clara  —  Robbers’ 
house  —  Temples  of  the  sun  and  moon  —  San  Juan  — 
Mexican  Posada  —  School-house  —  Skulls  —  Hard  fare  — 
Travelling  dress  —  Sopayuca  —  Military  administrador 

—  Santiago  —  Matadors  and  picadors  —  Evenings  in  the 

country  —  Dances  —  Mexican  songs  —  Cempoala  —  Pla¬ 
za  de  Toros  —  Skill  of  the  horsemen  —  Omatusco  —  Ac¬ 
cident  —  Tulansingo  —  Beautiful  garden  —  Mexican 
dishes  —  Fruits  —  Horses  —  Games  of  forfeits  —  Ran- 
chera’s  dress  —  Young  girls  and  their  admirers  —  Ver¬ 
ses  —  Knowledge  of  simple  medicine  —  Indian  baths  — 
Hidden  treasures  —  Anecdote,  .  .  .  .  .  231 

LETTER  THE  SEVENTEENTH. 

Arrival  at  Tepenacasco  —  Lake  with  wild  duck  —  Ruined 
hacienda —  Sunset  on  the  plains  —  Troop  of  asses —  Ride 
by  moonlight  —  Leave  Tepenacasco  —  San  Miguel  —  De¬ 
scription —  Thunder  storm  —  Guasco  —  Journey  to  Real 
del  Monte  —  English  road — Scenery  —  Village  of  Real 

—  Count  de  Regia  —  Director’s  house  —  English  break¬ 
fast —  Visit  to  the  mines  —  mining  speculations  —  Grand 


X 


CONTENTS. 


scenery  —  Visit  to  Regia  —  The  cascade  —  The  storm  — 
Loneliness  —  A  journey  in  storm  and  darkness  —  Return 
to  Tepenacasco  —  Journey  to  Sopayuca  —  Narrow  escape 

—  Famous  bull  —  Return  to  Mexico,  .  .  .  258 

LETTER  THE  EIGHTEENTH. 

English  ball  —  Dresses  —  Diamonds  —  Mineria  —  Arrival 
of  the  Pope’s  bull  —  Consecration  of  the  archbishop  — 

F oreign  ministers  —  Splendor  of  the  cathedral  —  De¬ 
cryption  of  the  ceremony,  .....  273 

LETTER  THE  NINETEENTH. 

Mexican  servants  —  Anecdotes  —  Remedies  —  An  unsafe 
Porter  —  Galopinas  —  The  reboso  —  The  sarape  — Wo- 
men-coolcs  —  Foreign  servants  —  Characteristics  of  Mex¬ 
ican  servants  —  Servants’  wages — Nun  of  the  Santa 
Teresa — Motives  for  taking  the  veil,  .  .  .  2S2 

LETTER  THE  TWENTIETH. 

The  convent  entry  —  Dialogue  —  A  chair  in  church  — 
Arrival  of  the  nun  —  Dress  —  Jose  Maria — Crowd  — 
Withdrawal  of  the  black  curtain  —  The  taking  of  the 
veil  —  The  sermon  —  A  dead  body  —  Another  victim  — 
Convent  of  the  Encarnacion  —  Attempt  at  a  hymn —  In¬ 
vitation  —  Morning  visit  —  The  nun  and  her  mother  — 
Banquet  —  Taking  leave  —  Ceremony  of  the  veil-taking 

—  A  beautiful  victim  —  The  last  look  —  Presentation  to 

the  bishop  —  Reflections  —  Verses,  ....  294 

LETTER  THE  TWENTY-FIRST. 

San  Agustin  —  The  gambling  fete  —  The  beauties  of  the 
village  —  The  road  from  Mexico  —  Entry  to  San  Agus¬ 
tin  —  The  gambling  houses  —  San  Antonio  —  The  Pedre- 
gal  —  Last  day  of  the  fete  —  The  cock-pit  —  The  boxes 

—  The  cock-fight  —  Decorum  —  Comparisons  —  Dinner  — 

Ball  at  Calvario  —  House  of  General  Moran  —  View  of 
the  gambling  tables  —  The  Advocate  —  Ball  at  the  Plaza 
de  Gallos  —  Return  to  Mexico  —  Reflections  —  Conver¬ 
sation  between  two  ministers, . 310 


CONTENTS. 


XI 


LETTER  THE  TWENTY-SECOND. 

Countess  C - a  —  Gutierrez  Estrada  —  Dinner  at  General 

Moran’s  —  Dowager  Marquesa  —  Fete  at  San  Antonio  — 
Approach  of  the  rainy  season  —  Diamonds  and  plate  — 
Great  ball  —  Night  travelling  —  Severe  storm — Chapter 
of  accidents  —  Corpus  Christi  —  Pobiana  dress  —  Book 
club  —  Ball  —  Humming  bird  —  Franciscan  friar  — 
Missions  to  Old  and  New  California  —  Zeal  and  endur¬ 
ance  of  the  missionaries  —  Present  condition — Convent 
gardener, . 321 


LETTER  THE  TWENTY-THIRD. 

The  President  —  Yturbide — Visit  from  the  Archbishop  — 
Senor  Canedo  —  General  Almonte  —  Sehor  Cuevas  — 
Situation  of  an  Archbishop  in  Mexico  —  Of  Senor  Po¬ 
sada  —  His  life  — Mexican  charity  —  Wax  figures  —  An¬ 
ecdote  —  Valuable  present  —  Education  —  Comparison 

—  Schools  —  Opportunities  —  Natural  talent  —  Annual 

—  Compliments  to  the  Mexican  ladies  by  the  editor  — 

F  amilies  of  the  old  school  —  Morals  —  Indulgence  — 
Manners  —  Love  of  country  —  Colleges,  .  .  .  335 

LETTER  THE  TWENTY-FOURTH. 

Revolution  in  Mexico  —  Gomez  Farias  and  General  Urrea 

—  The  federalists  —  The  President  imprisoned  —  Firing 

—  Cannon  —  First  news  —  Escape  —  Proclamation  of  the 

government  —  Cannonading  —  Count  C - a  —  Houses 

deserted  —  Countess  del  V - e  —  Proclamation  of  the 

federalists  —  Circular  of  the  federalists  —  Scarcity  of 
provisions  —  Bursting  of  a  shell  —  Refugees  —  Dr.  Plan 

—  Young  lady  shot — Gomez  Farias  —  Rumors  — Ad¬ 

dress  of  Gomez  Farias  —  Balls  and  bullets  —  Visit  from 
the  — —  Minister  —  Arrival  of  Monsieur  de -  Ex¬ 

pected  attack  —  Skirmish  —  Appearance  of  the  street 

—  San  Cosme  —  General - The  Count  de  B - 

More  rumors  —  Suspense  —  Cannonading  —  Government 
bulletin  —  Plan  of  the  rebels  defeated  —  Proclamation  of 


XU 


CONTENTS. 


the  President  —  Of  General  Valencia  —  Maternal  affec¬ 
tion —  Fresh  reports  —  Families  leaving  the  city — Letter 
from  Santa  Anna  —  Bustamante’s  letter  when  imprisoned 

—  Propositions  —  Refusal  —  Tacubaya  —  Archbishop  — 
Fresh  proposals  —  Refusal  —  Second  letter  from  Santa 
Anna  —  Government  bulletin  —  Proclamations  —  An 
awkward  mistake  —  The  Archbishop  visits  the  President 

—  Conclusion  of  the  Revolution  —  Government  news¬ 
paper  —  Circulars,  .......  348 

LETTER  THE  TWENTY-FIFTH. 

Plan  of  the  federalists  —  Letter  from  Farias — Signing  of 
articles  —  Dispersion  of  the  “  pronunciados  ”  —  Condi¬ 
tions  —  Orders  of  General  Valencia  —  Of  the  Governor  — 
Address  of  General  Valencia  —  Departure  of  our  guests  — 

The  Cosmopolita —  State  of  the  palace  and  streets  —  Bul¬ 
letin  of  the  firing — Interior  of  houses  —  Escape  of  fam¬ 
ilies —  Conduct  of  the  troops  —  Countess  del  V  e  — 
Santa  Anna  —  Congress  —  Anecdote  —  Discussion  in 
Congress  —  Leprosy, . 381 

LETTER  THE  TWENTY-SIXTH. 

Visiters  —  Virgin  de  los  Remedios  —  Encarnacion  —  Fears 
of  the  nuns  —  Santa  Teresa  —  Rainy  season  —  Amusing 
scene  —  “  Esld  a  la  disposition  dc  V.”  —  Mexican  sincer¬ 
ity  —  Texian  vessels  —  Fine  hair  —  School  mistress  — 
Climate  —  Its  effects  —  Nerves  —  Tours  de  force  —  Anni¬ 
versary  —  Speech  —  Paseo  —  San  Angel  —  Tacubaya  — 
Army  of  “  the  three  guarantees  ”  —  Plan  of  Yguala  —  A 
murder  —  Indian  politeness  —  Drunkenness  —  Serior  Ca- 
nedo  —  Revolutions  in  Mexico  —  The  Penon  —  The  baths 

—  General - Situation  and  view  —  Indian  family  — 

Of  the  boiling  springs — Capabilities  —  Solitude  —  Cha- 
pultepec  —  The  Dcsagravios  —  Penitence  at  San  Fran¬ 
cisco  —  Discipline  of  the  men  —  Discourse  of  the  monk  — 
Darkness  and  horrors  —  Salmagundi,  .  .  .  392 


LETTERS  EROM  MEXICO. 


LETTER  THE  FIRST. 

Departure  of  the  “Norma”  —  Last  look  of  New  York  Bay  —  Fel¬ 
low-passengers —  Contrary  Winds  —  Deceitful  Appearances  — 
Sun-set  in  Southern  Latitudes —  Seas  passed  over  by  Columbus 
—  Varied  Occupations  on  Ship-board  —  Berry  Islands  —  Baha¬ 
ma  Banks  —  Evening  in  a  Tropical  Sea  —  L.  E.  L.  —  Pan  of 
Matanzas  —  Morro  Castle  —  Bay  of  Havana  — Arrival  —  Hand¬ 
some  House  in  Havana  —  Sights  and  Sounds. 

Packet  Ship  Norma,  Oct.  27th,  1839. 

This  morning,  at  10  o’clock,  we  stepped  on  board 
the  steamboat  Hercules,  destined  to  convey  us  to 
our  packet  with  its  musical  name.  The  day  was 
foggy  and  gloomy,  as  if  refusing  to  be  comforted,  even 
by  an  occasional  smile  from  the  sun.  All  prognosti¬ 
cated  that  the  Norma  would  not  sail  to-day,  but 
“  where  there’s  a  will,”  &c.  Several  of  our  friends 
accompanied  us  to  the  wharf ;  the  Russian  Minister, 

the  Minister  of  Buenos  Ayres,  Mr. - ,  who  tried 

hard  to  look  sentimental,  and  even  brought  tears 

into  his  eyes  by  some  curious  process ;  Judge - , 

l- 


VOL.  I. 


2 


FELLOW-PASSENGERS. 


Mr.  - ,  and  others,  from  whom  we  were  truly  sorry 

to  part. 

The  Norma  was  anchored  in  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  points  of  the  bay,  and  the  steamboat  towed 
us  five  miles,  until  we  had  passed  the  Narrows.  The 
wind  was  contrary,  but  the  day  began  to  clear  up, 
and  the  sun  to  scatter  the  watery  clouds. 

Still  there  is  nothing  so  sad  as  a  retreating  view. 
It  is  as  if  time  were  visibly  in  motion ;  and  as  here 

we  had  to  part  from  - ,  we  could  only  distinguish 

as  through  a  misty  veil,  the  beauties  of  the  bay  ;  the 
shores  covered  to  the  water’s  edge  with  trees  rich  in 
their  autumnal  coloring  ;  the  white  houses  on  Staten 
Island  —  the  whole  gradually  growing  fainter,  till  like 
a  dream,  they  faded  away. 

The  pilot  has  left  us,  breaking  our  last  link  with 
the  land.  We  still  see  the  mountains  of  Neversink, 
and  the  lighthouse  of  Sandy  Hook.  The  sun  is 
setting,  and  in  a  few  minutes,  we  must  take  our  leave, 
probably  for  years,  of  places  long  familiar  to  us. 

Our  fellow-passengers  do  not  appear  very  remark¬ 
able.  There  is  Madame  A - ,  returning  from 

being  prima  donna  in  Mexico,  in  a  packet  called  after 
the  opera  in  which  she  was  there  a  favorite,  with  her 

husband  Sehor  V - and  her  child.  There  is  M. 

B - with  moustaches  like  a  bird’s  nest ;  a  pretty 

widow  in  deep  affliction,  at  least  in  deep  mourning; 
a  maiden  lady  going  out  as  a  governess,  and  every 
variety  of  Spaniard  and  Havanero.  So  now  we  are 

alone,  C - n  and  I,  and  my  French  femme-de- 

chambre,  with  her  air  of  Dowager  Duchess,  and 
moreover  sea-sick. 


CONTRARY  WINDS. 


3 


28tA.  —  When  I  said  I  liked  a  sea  life,  I  did  not 
mean  to  be  understood  as  liking  a  merchant  ship, 
with  an  airless  cabin,  and  with  every  variety  of  disa¬ 
greeable  odor.  As  a  French  woman  on  board,  with 
the  air  of  an  afflicted  porpoise,  and  with  more  truth 
than  elegance,  expresses  it:  “Tout  devient  puant, 
me  me  l’eau-de-cologne.” 

The  wind  is  still  contrary,  and  the  Norma,  beating 
up  and  down,  makes  but  little  way.  We  have  gone 
seventy-four  miles,  and  of  these  advanced  but  forty. 
Every  one  being  sick  to-day,  the  deck  is  nearly  de¬ 
serted.  The  most  interesting  object  I  have  discovered 
on  board,  is  a  pretty  little  deaf  and  dumb  girl,  very 
lively  and  with  an  intelligent  face,  who  has  been 
teaching  me  to  speak  on  my  fingers.  The  infant 

heir  of  the  house  of - has  shown  his  good  taste 

by  passing  the  day  in  squalling.  M.  B - ,  pale,  dirty 

and  much  resembling  a  brigand  out  of  employ, rhas 
traversed  the  deck  with  uneasy  footsteps  and  a^cigar 
appearing  from  out  his  moustaches,  like  a  light  in  a 
tangled  forest,  or  a  jack-o-lantern  in  a  marshy  thicket. 
A  fat  Spaniard  has  been  discoursing  upon  the  glories 
of  olla  podrida.  A u  reste,  we  are  slowly  pursuing 
our  way,  and  at  this  rate  might  reach  Cuba  in  three 
months. 

And  the  stars  are  shining,  quiet  and  silvery.  All 
without  is  soft  and  beautiful,  and  no  doubt  the  Norma 
herself  looks  all  in  unison  with  the  scene,  balancing 
herself  like  a  lazy  swan,  white  and  graciously.  So 
it  is  without,  and  within,  there  is  miserable  sea-sick¬ 
ness,  bilge-water,  and  all  the  unavoidable  disagree¬ 
ables  of  a  small  packet. 


4 


MORNING  IN  THE  CABIN. 


•31sf. —  Three  days  have  passed  without  anything 
worthy  of  notice  having  occurred,  except  that  we 
already  feel  the  difference  of  temperature.  The  pas¬ 
sengers  are  still  enduring  sea-sickness  in  all  its 
phases. 

This  morning  opened  with  an  angry  dispute  be¬ 
tween  two  of  the  gentlemen,  on  the  subject  of  the 
Cuban  lotteries,  and  they  ended  by  applying  to  each 
other  epithets  which,  however  much  they  might  be 
deserved,  were  certainly  rather  strong;  but  by  dinner 
time,  they  were  amicably  engaged  in  concocting 
together  an  enormous  tureen  of  gasjpachos,  a  sort  of 
salad,  composed  of  bread,  oil,  vinegar,  sliced  onion 
and  garlic  —  and  the  fattest  one  declares  that  in 
warm  weather,  a  dish  of  gaspachos,  with  plenty  of 
garlic  in  it,  makes  him  feel  as  fresh  as  a  rose.  He 
must  indeed  be  a  perfect  bouquet. 

The  opening  of  morning  is  dramatic  in  our  narrow 
cabin.  About  twenty  voices  in  Spanish,  German, 
Italian  and  broken  English,  strike  up  by  degrees. 
From  a  neighboring  state  room,  Nid  d’oiseau  puts 
forth  his  head.  “  Stooar  !  a  toomlar  !  here  is  no 
vater  !  ”  “  Comin  sir,  comin.”  “  Caramba  !  Stoo- 

ard  !  ”  “  Comin  sir,  comin  !  ”  “  Stuart  ?  vasser 

und  toel  !  ”  ££  Here  sir  !  ”  “  Amigo  !  how  is  the 

wind  ?  ”  (This  is  the  waking  up  of  el  Sefior  Minis- 
tro,  putting  his  head  half  suffocated  out  of  his  berth.) 
“  Oh  steward!  steward!”  “  Yes,  miss.”  “  Come 
here,  and  look  at  this  !  ”  “  I  ’ll  fix  it,  miss,”  —  &c. 

1st  JSovember.  —  A  fair  wind  after  a  stifling  night, 
and  strong  hopes  of  seeing  the  Bahama  Banks  on  Sun¬ 
day.  Most  people  are  now  gradually  ascending  from 


SEAS  PASSED  OVER  BY  COLUMBUS. 


5 


the  lower  regions,  and  dragging  themselves  on  deck 
with  pale  and  dejected  countenances.  Madame  A. 
has  such  a  sweet-toned  voice  in  speaking,  especially 
in  the  accents  of  her  bella  Italia,  that  it  is  refreshing 
to  listen  to  her.  I  have  passed  all  day  in  reading 
after  a  desultory  fashion,  “  Les  enfans  d’Edouard,” 
by  Casimir  Delavigne,  Washington  Irving,  d’Israeli’s 
Curiosities  of  Literature,  &,c.  ;  and  it  is  rather  sin¬ 
gular  that  while  there  is  a  very  tolerable  supply  of 
English  and  French  books  here,  I  see  but  one  or  two 
odd  volumes  in  Spanish,  although  these  packets  are 
constantly  filled  with  people  of  that  nation,  going 
and  coming.  Is  it  that  they  do  not  care  for  read¬ 
ing,  or  that  less  attention  is  paid  to  them,  than 
to  the  French  or  American  passengers?  One  would 
think  Cervantes,  Lopede  Vega,  Calderon  or  Moratin, 
better  worth  buying  than  many  commonplace  novels 
which  I  find  here. 

3c7.  —  Yesterday,  the  wind  blew  soft  as  on  a  sum¬ 
mer  morning.  A  land  bird  flew  into  the  ship. 
To-day  the  wind  has  veered  round,  but  the  weather 
continues  charming.  The  sea  is  covered  with  mul¬ 
titudes  of  small  flying-fish.  An  infantile  water-spout 
appeared,  and  died  in  its  birth.  Mr. - ,  the  Con¬ 

sul,  has  been  giving  me  an  account  of  the  agree¬ 
able  society  in  the  Sandwich  Islands  !  A  magnifi¬ 
cent  sunset,  the  sight  of  which  compensates  for  all 
the  inconveniences  of  the  voyage.  The  sky  was 
covered  with  black  clouds  lined  with  silver,  and  sur¬ 
rounded  by  every  variety  of  color  ;  deep  blue,  fleecy, 
rose,  violet  and  orange.  The  heavens  are  now  thickly 
studded  with  stars,  numbers  shooting  across  the 


6 


THE  DISCOVERER  OF  A  WORLD. 


blue  expanse  like  messengers  of  light,  glancing  and 
disappearing  as  if  extinguished. 

It  is  well  to  read  the  History  of  Columbus  at  sea, 
but  especially  in  these  waters,  where  he  wandered  in 
suspense,  high-wrought  expectation  and  firm  faith  ; 
and  to  watch  the  signs  which  the  noble  mariner 
observed  in  these  latitudes  ;  the  soft  serenity  of  the 
breezes,  the  clear  blue  of  the  heavens,  the  brilliancy 
and  number  of  the  stars,  the  sea-weeds  of  the  gulf, 
which  always  drift  in  the  direction  of  the  wind,  the 
little  land-birds  that  come  like  harbingers  of  good 
tidings,  the  frequency  of  the  shooting  stars,  and  the 
multitude  of  flying-fish. 

As  the  shades  of  evening  close  around,  and  the 
tropical  sky  glitters  with  the  light  of  innumerable 
stars,  imagination  transports  us  back  to  that  century 
which  stands  out  in  bold  relief  amidst  other  ages 
rolling  by  comparatively  undistinguished,  and  we  see 
as  in  a  vision  the  Discoverer  of  a  World,  standing 
on  the  deck  of  his  caravel,  as  it  bounded  over  the 
unknown  and  mysterious  waste  of  waters,  his  vigilant 
eyes  fixed  on  the  west,  like  a  Persian  intently  watch¬ 
ing  the  rising  of  his  god  ;  though  his  star  was  to 
arise  from  whence  the  day-god  sets.  We  see  him 
bending  his  gaze  on  the  first  dark  line  that  separated 
the  watery  sea  from  the  blue  of  the  heavens,  striving 
to  penetrate  the  gloom  of  night,  yet  waiting  with 
patient  faith  until  the  dawn  of  day  should  bring  the 
long-wished  for  shores  in  sight. 

6th.  —  For  three  days,  three  very  long  and  uncom¬ 
fortable  days,  the  wind,  with  surprising  constancy, 
has  continued  to  blow  dead  a-head.  In  ancient 


A  SQUALL. 


7 


days,  what  altars  might  have  smoked  to  tEoIus  ! 
Now,  except  in  the  increased  puffing  of  consolatory 
cigar-smoke,  no  propitiatory  offerings  are  made  to 
unseen  powers.  There  are  indeed  many  mourning 
signs  amongst  the  passengers.  Every  one  has  tied 
up  his  head  in  an  angry-looking  silken  bandana 
drawn  over  his  nose  with  a  dogged  air.  Beards  are 
unshaven,  a  black  stubble  covering  the  lemon-colored 
countenance,  which  occasionally  bears  a  look  of 
sulky  defiance,  as  if  its  owner  were  like  Juliet,  “  past 
hope,  past  cure,  past  help.” 

1th.  —  This  morning  the  monotony  of  fine  weather 
was  relieved  by  a  hearty  squall,  accompanied  by  tor¬ 
rents  of  rain,  much  thunder  and  forked  lightning.  The 
ship  reeled  to  and  fro  like  a  drunken  man,  and  the 
passengers,  as  usual  in  such  cases,  performed  various 
involuntary  evolutions,  cutting  right  angles,  sliding, 
spinning  round,  and  rolling  over,  as  if  Oberon’s 
magic  horn  were  playing  an  occasional  blast  amidst 
the  roaring  winds  ;  whilst  the  stewards  alone,  like 
Horace’s  good  man,  walked  serene  amidst  the  wreck 
of  crockery  and  the  fall  of  plates.  Driven  from  our 
strong  hold  on  deck,  indiscriminately  crammed  in 
below,  like  figs  in  a  drum  ;  “  weltering,”  as  Carlyle 
has  it,  “  like  an  Egyptian  pitcher  of  tamed  vipers,” 
the  cabin  windows  all  shut  in,  we  tried  to  take  it 
coolly,  in  spite  of  the  suffocating  heat. 

There  is  a  child  on  board  who  is  certainly  possess¬ 
ed  ;  not  by  a  witty,  malicious  demon,  a  diable  boiteux, 
but  by  a  teasing,  stupid,  wicked  imp,  which  inspires 
him  with  the  desire  of  tormenting  everything  human 
that  comes  within  his  reach.  Should  he  escape 


8 


OCCUPATIONS  ON  SHIP-BOARD. 


being  thrown  overboard,  it  will  shew  a  wonderful 
degree  of  forbearance  on  the  part  of  the  passengers. 

8th.  —  The  weather  is  perfect,  but  the  wind  inex¬ 
orable  ;  and  the  passengers,  with  their  heads  tied  up, 
look  more  gloomy  than  ever.  Some  sit  dejected  in 
corners ;  and  some  quarrel  with  their  neighbors,  thus 
finding  a  safety-valve  by  which  their  wrath  may 
escape. 

9th.  —  There  is  no  change  in  the  wind,  yet  the 
gentlemen  have  all  brightened  up,  taken  off  their 
head-kerchiefs  and  shaved,  as  if  ashamed  of  their  six 
days'  impatience,  and  making  up  their  minds  to  a 
sea  life.  This  morning  we  saw  land  ;  a  long,  low 
ridge  of  hills  on  the  Island  of  Eleuthera,  where  they 
make  salt,  and  Avhere  there  are  many  negroes. 
Neither  salt  nor  negroes  visible  to  the  naked  eye  ; 
nothing  but  the  gray  outline  of  the  hills,  melting  into 
the  sea  and  sky  ;  and  having  tacked  about  all  day, 
we  found  ourselves  in  the  evening  precisely  opposite 
to  this  same  island.  There  are  Job’s  comforters  on 
board,  who  assure  us  that  they  have  been  thirty-six 
days  between  New  York  and  la  “joya  mas  preciosa 
de  la  corona  de  Espaha.”  1 

For  my  part,  I  feel  no  impatience,  having  rather  a 
dislike  to  changing  my  position  when  tolerable,  and 
the  air  is  so  fresh  and  laden  with  balm,  that  it  seems 
to  blow  over  some  paradise  of  sweets,  some  land  of 
fragrant  spices.  The  sea  also  is  a  mirror,  and  I  have 
read  Marryatt’s  Pirate  for  the  first  time. 

Thus  then  we  stand  at  eight  o’clock,  p.  m.  ;  wind 

1  The  most  precious  jewel  in  the  Spanish  crown,  the  name 
given  to  Cuba. 


OCCUPATIONS  ON  SHIP-BOARD. 


9 


a-head,  and  little  of  it ;  performing  a  zig-zag  march 
between  Eleuthera  and  Abaco.  On  deck,  the  pretty 
widow  lies  in  an  easy  chair,  surrounded  by  her  coun¬ 
trymen,  who  discourse  about  sugar,  molasses,  choco¬ 
late,  and  other  local  topics,  together  with  the  relative 
merits  of  Cuba  as  compared  with  the  rest  of  the 

known  world.  Madame  A- - is  studying  her  part 

of  Elizabetta  in  the  opera  of  Roberto  Devereux,  which 
she  is  to  bring  out  in  Havana,  but  the  creaking  of 
the  Norma  is  sadly  at  variance  with  harmony.  A 
pale  German  youth,  in  dressing-gown  and  slippers,  is 
studying  Schiller.  An  ingenious  youngster  is  care¬ 
fully  conning  a  well-thumbed  note,  which  looks  like 
a  milliner’s  girl’s  last  billetdoux.  The  little  possede 
is  burning  brown  paper  within  an  inch  of  the 
curtains  of  a  state-room,  while  the  steward  is  dragging 
it  from  him.  Others  are  gradually  dropping  into 
their  berths,  like  ripe  nuts  from  a  tree.  Thus  are 
we  all  pursuing  our  vocations. 

9th.  —  Wind  dead  a-head  !  I  console  myself  with 
Cinq-Mars  and  Jacob  Faithful.  But  the  weather  is 
lovely.  A  young  moon  in  her  first  quarter,  like  a 
queen  in  her  minority,  glitters  like  a  crescent  on  the 
brow  of  night. 

Towards  evening  the  long  wished  for  lighthouse  of 
Abaco  (built  by  the  English)  shewed  her  charitable 
and  revolving  radiance.  But  our  ship,  Penelope-like, 
undoes  by  night  what  she  has  performed  by  day,  and 
her  course  is  backward  and  crabbish.  A  delicious 
smell  of  violets  is  blowing  from  the  land. 

10 th.  —  A  fair  wind.  The  good  tidings  commu¬ 
nicated  by  the  A - ,  toute  rayonnante  de  joie.  A 


10 


BERRY  ISLANDS. 


fair  wind,  and  a  bright  blue  sea,  cool  and  refreshing 
breezes,  the  waves  sparkling,  and  the  ship  going  gal¬ 
lantly  over  the  waters.  So  far,  our  voyage  may 
have  been  tedious,  but  the  most  determined  landsman 
must  allow  that  the  weather  has  been  charming. 

Sunday  at  sea  ;  and  though  no  bells  are  tolling, 
and  no  hymns  are  chanted,  the  blue  sky  above  and 
the  blue  ocean  beneath  us,  form  one  vast  temple, 
where,  since  the  foundations  of  the  earth  and  sea 
were  laid,  Day  unto  day  uttcreth  speech,  and  night 
unto  night  showeth  knowledge. 

This  morning  we  neared  the  Berry  Islands,  un¬ 
productive  and  rocky,  as  the  geography-books  would 
say.  One  of  these  islands  belongs  to  a  colored  man, 
who  bought  it  for  fifty  dollars  —  a  cheaply-purchased 
sovereignty.  He,  his  wife  and  children,  with  their 
negro  slaves !  live  there,  and  cultivate  vegetables  to 
sell  at  New  York,  or  at  the  different  ships  which  pass 
that  way.  Had  the  wind  been  favorable,  they  would 
probably  have  sent  us  out  a  boat  with  fresh  vegeta¬ 
bles,  fish,  and  fruit,  which  would  have  been  very  ac¬ 
ceptable.  We  saw,  not  far  from  the  shore,  the 
wreck  of  a  two-masted  vessel ;  a  sad  sight  to  those 
who  pass  over  the  same  waters  to  see 

“  A  brave  vessel, 

Who  had,  no  doubt,  some  noble  creatures  in  her, 

Dashed  all  to  pieces  !  ” 

Who  had,  at  least,  some  of  God’s  creatures  in  her. 
Anything  but  that !  I  am  like  Gonzalo,  and  “would 
fain  die  a  dry  death.” 

We  are  now  on  the  Bahama  Banks,  the  water 


EVENING  IN  A  TROPICAL  SEA. 


11 


very  clear  and  blue,  with  a  creamy  froth,  looking  as 
if  it  flowed  over  pearls  and  turquoises.  An  English 
schooner  man-of-war  (a  boy- of-war  in  size)  made  all 
sail  towards  us,  doubtless  hoping  we  were  a  slaver ; 
but,  on  putting  us  to  the  test  of  his  spy-glass,  the 
captain,  we  presume,  perceived  that  the  general 
tinge  of  countenance  was  lemon  rather  than  negro, 
and  so  abandoned  his  pursuit. 

This  evening  on  the  Banks.  It  would  be  difficult 
to  imagine  a  more  placid  and  lovely  scene.  Every¬ 
thing  perfectly  calm,  all  sail  set,  and  the  heavens 
becoming  gradually  sprinkled  with  silver  stars.  The 
sky  blue,  and  without  a  cloud,  except  where  the  sun 
has  just  set,  the  last  crimson  point  sinking  in  the 
calm  sea  and  leaving  a  long  retinue  of  rainbow-co¬ 
lored  clouds,  deep  crimson  tinged  with  bright  silver, 
and  melting  away  into  gray,  pale  vapor. 

On  goes  the  vessel,  stately  and  swanlike ;  the 
water  of  the  same  turquoise  blue,  covered  with  a 
light  pearly  froth,  and  so  clear  that  we  see  the  large 
sponges  at  the  bottom.  Every  minute  they  heave 
the  lead.  “  By  the  mark  three.”  “  By  the  mark 
three,  less  a  quarter.”  “  By  the  mark  twain  and  a 
half,”  (fifteen  feet,  the  vessel  drawing  thirteen,)  two 
feet  between  us  and  the  bottom.  The  sailor  sings 
it  out  like  the  first  line  of  a  hymn  in  short  metre, 
doled  out  by  the  parish  clerk.  I  wish  Madame 

A - were  singing  it  instead  of  he.  “  By  the  mark 

three,  less  a  quarter.”  To  this  tune,  the  only  sound 
breaking  the  stillness  of  the  night,  I  dropped  to 
sleep.  The  captain  passed  the  night  anxiously,  now 


12 


PAN  .OF  MATANZAS. 

\ 


looking  out  for  lights  on  the  Banks,  now  at  the 
helm,  or  himself  sounding  the  lead  ; 

“For  some  must  watch  whilst  others  sleep  ; 

Thus  wags  the  world  away.” 

11  th. —  Beautiful  morning,  and  fair  wind.  About 
eight  we  left  the  Banks.  Just  then  we  observed, 
that  the  sailor  who  sounded,  having  sung  out  five, 
then  six,  then  in  a  few  minutes  seven,  suddenly 
found  no  bottom,  as  if  we  had  fallen  off  all  at  once 
from  the  brink  of  the  Bank  into  an  abyss. 

A  fellow-captain,  and  passenger  of  our  captain’s, 
told  me  this  morning,  that  he  spoke  the  ship  which 
carried  out  Governor  and  Mrs.  McLean  to  Cape- 
Coast  Castle —  the  unfortunate  L.  E.  L.  It  does  not 
seem  to  me  at  all  astonishing,  that  the  remedies, 
which  she  took  in  England  without  injury,  should 
have  proved  fatal  to  her  in  that  wretched  climate. 

We  have  been  accompanied  all  the  morning  by  a 
fine  large  ship,  going  full  sail,  the  Orleans,  Captain 
Sears,  bound  for  New  Orleans . A  long  semi¬ 

circular  line  of  black  rocks  in  sight ;  some  of  a  round 
form,  one  of  which  is  called  the  Death’s  Head  ;  another 
of  the  shape  of  a  turtle,  and  some  two  or  three  miles 
long.  At  the  extremity  of  one  of  these,  the  English 
are  building  a  light-house. 

12 th. —  We  are  opposite  the  Pan  of  Matanzas, 
about  sixty  miles  from  Havana.  Impatience  be¬ 
comes  general,  but  the  breeze  rocks  us  up  and  down, 
and  we  gain  little.  This  day,  like  all  last  days  on 
board,  has  been  remarkably  tedious,  though  the 
country  gradually  becomes  more  interesting.  There 


ARRIVAL  AT  HAVANA. 


13 


is  a  universal  brushing-up  amongst  the  passengers ; 
some  shaving,  some  with  their  heads  plunged  into 
tubs  of  cold  water.  So  may  have  appeared  Noah’s 
ark,  when  the  dove  did  not  return,  and  the  passen¬ 
gers  prepared  for  terra  firma,  after  a  forty  days’ 
voyage.  Our  Mount  Ararat  was  the  Morro  Castle 
which,  dark  and  frowning,  presented  itself  to  our 
eyes,  at  six  o’clock,  p.  m. 

Nothing  can  be  more  striking  than  the  first  ap¬ 
pearance  of  this  fortress,  starting  up  from  the  solid 
rock,  with  its  towers  and  battlements,  while  here,  to 
remind  us  of  our  latitude,  we  see  a  few  feathery 
cocoas  growing  amidst  the  herbage  that  covers  the 
banks  near  the  castle.  By  its  side,  covering  a  con¬ 
siderable  extent  of  ground,  is  the  fortress  called  the 
Cabana,  painted  rose-color,  with  the  angles  of  its 
bastions  white. 

But  there  is  too  much  to  look  at  now.  I  must 
finish  my  letter  in  Havana. 

Havana,  13th  November. 

Last  evening,  as  we  entered  the  beautiful  bay, 
everything  struck  us  as  strange  and  picturesque.  The 
soldiers  of  the  garrison,  the  prison  built  by  General 
Tacon,  the  irregular  houses  with  their  fronts  painted 
red  or  pale  blue,  and  with  the  cool  but  uninhabited 
look  produced  by  the  absence  of  glass  windows  ;  the 
merchant  ships  and  large  men-of-war  ;  vessels  from 
every  port  in  the  commercial  world,  the  little  boats 
gliding  amongst  them  with  their  snow-white  sails,  the 
negroes  on  the  wharf  —  nothing  European.  The  heat 
was  great,  that  of  a  July  day,  without  any  freshness 
in  the  air. 


VOL.  I. 


2 


14 


HANDSOME  HOUSE  IN  HAVANA. 


As  we  approached  the  wharf,  the  noise  and  bustle 
increased.  The  passengers  all  crowded  upon  deck, 
and  we  had  scarcely  anchored,  when  various  little 
boats  were  seen  making  for  the  Norma.  First  boat 
brought  an  officer  with  the  salutations  of  the  Captain- 
General  to  his  Excellency,  with  every  polite  offer  of 
service  ;  second  boat  brought  the  Administrador  of 
the  Yntendente,  (the  Count  de  Villa  Nueva)  with 
the  same  civilities  ;  the  third,  the  master  of  the  house 
where  we  now  are,  and  whence  I  indite  these  facts ; 
the  fourth,  the  Italian  Opera,  which  rushed  simulta¬ 
neously  into  the  arms  of  the  A - i ;  the  fifth,  pro¬ 

saic  custom-house  officers  ;  the  sixth,  a  Havana  Count 
and  Marquis  ;  the  seventh,  the  family  of  General 

M - o.  Finally,  we  were  hoisted  over  the  ship’s 

side  in  a  chair,  into  the  government  boat,  and  rowed 
to  the  shore.  As  it  was  rather  dark  when  we  arrived, 
and  we  were  driven  to  our  destination  in  a  volante, 
we  did  not  see  much  of  the  city.  We  could  but  ob¬ 
serve  that  the  streets  were  narrow,  the  houses  irregu¬ 
lar,  most  people  black,  and  the  volante,  an  amusing- 
looking  vehicle,  looking  behind  like  a  black  insect 
with  high  shoulders,  and  with  a  little  black  postilion 
on  a  horse  or  mule,  with  an  enormous  pair  of  boots 
and  a  fancy  uniform. 

The  house,  in  which,  by  the  hospitality  of  the 
H - a  family  we  are  installed,  has  from  its  win¬ 

dows,  which  front  the  bay,  the  most  varied  and  inter¬ 
esting  view  imaginable.  As  it  is  the  first  house, 
Spanish  fashion,  which  I  have  entered,  I  must  de¬ 
scribe  it  to  you  before  I  sleep.  The  house  forms  a 
great  square,  and  you  enter  the  court,  round  which 


SIGHTS  AND  SOUNDS. 


15 


are  the  offices,  the  rooms  for  the  negroes,  coal-house, 
bath-room,  &c.,  and  in  the  middle  of  which  stand  the 
volantes.  Proceed  up  stairs,  and  enter  a  large  gallery 
which  runs  all  round  the  house.  Pass  into  the  Sala, 
a  large  cool  apartment,  with  marble  floor  and  tables, 
and  chaises-longues  with  elastic  cushions,  chairs  and 
arm-chairs  of  cane.  A  drapery  of  white  muslin  and 
blue  silk  divides  this  from  a  second  and  smaller  draw¬ 
ing-room,  now  serving  as  my  dressing-room,  and  beau¬ 
tifully  fitted  up,  with  gothic  toilette-table,  inlaid  ma¬ 
hogany  bureau,  marble  centre  and  side-tables,  fine 
mirrors,  cane  sofas  and  chairs,  green  and  gold  paper. 
A  drapery  of  white  muslin  and  rose-colored  silk  divides 
this  from  a  bedroom,  also  fitted  up  with  all  manner 
of  elegancies.  French  beds  with  blue  silk  coverlids 
and  clear  musquito  curtains,  and  fine  lace.  A  dra¬ 
pery  divides  this  on  one  side  from  the  gallery  ;  and 
this  room  opens  into  others  which  run  all  round  the 
house.  The  floors  are  marble  or  stucco  —  the  roofs 
beams  of  pale  blue  wood  placed  transversely,  and  the 
whole  has  an  air  of  agreeable  coolness.  Everything 
is  handsome  without  being  gaudy,  and  admirably 
adapted  for  the  climate.  The  sleeping  apartments 
have  no  windows,  and  are  dark  and  cool,  while  the 
drawing-rooms  have  large  windows  down  to  the  floor, 
with  green  shutters,  kept  closed  till  the  evening. 

The  mosquitoes  have  now  commenced  their  evening 
song,  a  signal  that  it  is  time  to  put  out  the  lights.  The 
moon  is  shining  on  the  bay,  and  a  faint  sound  of  mili¬ 
tary  music  is  heard  in  the  distance,  while  the  sea 
moans  with  a  sad  but  not  unpleasing  monotony.  To 
all  these  sounds,  I  retire  to  rest. 


LETTER  THE  SECOND. 


Havana  aristocracy  —  Lucia  de  Lammermoor — La  Rossi  and 

Montresor  —  Brig  of  war  —  Countess  de  V - a  —  Dinner  at 

H - a’s  —  Southerly  winds  —  View  from  the  balcony  — Quinta 

of  Count  Y - a  —  San  Cristobal — Mass  at  San  Felipe  — 

Erard  Harp  —  Dinner  at  General  M - o’s  —  A  Dessert  at 

Havana  —  Queen  of  Spain’s  birthday  —  Dinner  at  the  Ynten- 
dencia  —  La  Pantanelli  —  Theatre  of  Tacon  —  Railroad —  Cure 

by  lightning  —  Shops  —  Ball  at  the  Countess  F - a’s  —  Last 

visit  —  Souvenirs. 

15th.  —  We  expected  Hospitality  and  a  good  recep¬ 
tion,  but  certainly  all  our  expectations  have  been  sur¬ 
passed,  and  the  last  few  days  have  been  spent  in 
such  a  round  of  festivity,  that  not  a  moment  has 
been  left  for  writing.  At  home  we  have  held  a 
levee  to  all  that  is  most  distinguished  in  Havana. 
Counts,  Marquesses  and  Generals  with  stars  and 
crosses,  have  poured  in  and  poured  out  ever  since 
our  arrival.  1  do  not  pretend  to  form  any  judgment 
of  Havana.  We  have  seen  it  too  much  en  beau. 

Last  evening  we  found  time  to  go  to  the  theatre. 
The  opera  was  Lucia  de  Lammermoor.  The  prima 
donna  la  Rossi  has  a  voice  of  much  sweetness,  sings 
correctly  and  with  taste,  is  graceful  in  her  move¬ 
ments,  but  sadly  deficient  in  strength.  Still  she  suits 
the  character  represented,  and  comes  exactly  up  to 
my  idea  of  poor  Lucy,  devoted  and  broken-hearted, 


THE  THEATRE. 


IT 


physically  and  morally  weak.  Though  the  story  is 
altered,  and  the  interest  weakened,  how  graceful  the 
music  is  !  how  lovely  and  full  of  melody  !  The  or¬ 
chestra  is  good,  and  composed  of  blacks  and  whites, 
like  the  notes  of  a  piano,  mingled  in  harmonious  con¬ 
fusion. 

The  theatre  is  remarkably  pretty  and  airy,  and  the 
pit  struck  us  as  being  particularly  clean  and  respect¬ 
able.  All  the  seats  are  red  leather  arm-chairs,  and 
all  occupied  by  well-dressed  people. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  act,  we  went  round  to  the 
Countess  F — — a’s  box,  to  return  a  visit  which  she 
had  made  me  in  the  morning.  We  found  her  ex¬ 
tremely  agreeable  and  full  of  intelligence,  also  with  a 
very  decided  air  of  fashion.  She  was  dressed  in  fawn- 
colored  satin,  with  large  pearls.  At  the  end  of  the 
second  act,  Lucia  was  taken  ill,  her  last  Aria  missed 
out,  and  her  monument  driven  on  the  stage  without 
further  ceremony.  Montresor,  the  Ravenswood  of 
the  piece,  came  in,  sung  and  stabbed  himself  with 
immense  enthusiasm.  It  is  a  pity  that  his  voice  is 
deserting  him,  while  his  taste  and  feeling  remain. 
The  house  has  altogether  a  French  look.  The  boxes 
are  private,  that  is,  the  property  of  individuals,  but 
are  not  shut  in,  which,  in  this  climate,  would  be  suf¬ 
focating.  We  passed  out  through  a  long  file  of  sol¬ 
diers.  The  sudden  transition  from  Yankee  land  to 
this  military  Spanish  negro  land,  is  dreamy. 

The  General  de  la  Marina,  ( Anglice  admiral  of 
the  Station,)  called  some  days  ago,  and  informed  us 
that  there  is  a  brig  of  war  destined  to  convey  us  to 
Vera  Cruz. 


2! 


18 


DINNER  AT  H 


■a’s. 

Amongst  the  ladies  who  have  called  on  me,  I  find 

none  more  charming  than  the  Countess  de  V - a. 

Her  voice  is  agreeable,  her  manners  cordial  and  easy, 
her  expression  beautiful  from  goodness,  with  animated 
eyes  and  fine  teeth,  her  dress  quiet  and  rich.  She 
is  universally  beloved  here.  I  receive  from  her,  nearly 
every  morning,  a  bouquet  of  the  loveliest  flowers 
from  her  quinta  —  roses,  carnations,  heliotrope,  &c. 

The  dinner  at  II - a’s  to-day  was  a  perfect  feast. 

I  sat  between  the  Count  de  F - a  and  the  Count  de 

S - V - ,  a  millionaire.  Everything  was  served 

in  French  white  and  gold  porcelain,  which  looks  par¬ 
ticularly  cool  and  pretty  in  this  climate.  The  Count 
de  P - r  was  there  and  his  brother  ;  the  latter  a  gen¬ 

tlemanly  and  intelligent  man,  with  a  great  taste  for 
music,  and  whose  daughter  is  a  first  rate  singer,  and 
a  charming  person.  After  dinner  we  rose,  according 
to  custom,  and  went  into  an  adjoining  room,  while 
they  arranged  the  dessert,  consisting  of  every  imagin¬ 
able  and  unimaginable  sweetmeat,  with  fruits,  ices,  &c. 
The  fruits  I  have  not  yet  learnt  to  like.  They  are 
certainly  wonderful  and  delicious  productions  of  na¬ 
ture  ;  but  to  eat  eggs  and  custards  and  butter  oft’  the 
trees  seems  unnatural. 

The  heat  to-day  is  terrible,  with  a  suffocating 
south  wind  blowing,  and  were  the  houses  not  built 
as  they  are,  would  be  unbearable.  The  dinner  is 
served  in  the  gallery,  which  is  spacious  and  cool. 

After  dinner,  Senor  Don  P - o  H - a  rose, 

and  addressing  C - n,  pronounced  a  poetical  im¬ 

promptu,  commemorating  the  late  victory  of  Espar- 
tero,  and  congratulating  C - n  on  his  mission  to 


SAN  CRISTOBAL. 


19 


the  Mexican  Republic.  We  then  adjourned  to  the 
balcony,  where  the  air  was  delightful,  a  cool  evening 
breeze  having  suddenly  sprung  up.  A  large  ship, 
full  sail,  and  various  barks,  passed  the  Morro.  There 
were  negroes  with  bare  legs  walking  on  the  wall,  car¬ 
rying  parcels,  &c. ;  volantes  passing  by  with  their 
black-eyed  occupants  in  full  dress,  short  sleeves 
and  flowers  in  their  hair ;  well-dressed,  martial-look¬ 
ing  Spanish  soldiers  marching  by,  and  making  tolera¬ 
bly  free  remarks  upon  the  ladies  in  the  volantes . 

We  had  a  visit  from  the  Captain-General. 

In  the  evening  we  went  out  to  see  the  Countess 

De  V - a,  at  her  pretty  quinta,  a  short  way  out  of 

town,  and  walked  in  the  garden  by  moonlight, 
amongst  flowers  and  fountains.  The  little  Count  is 
arleady  one  of  the  chamberlains  to  the  Queen,  and  a 
diamond  key  has  been  sent  him  by  Queen  Cristina 
in  token  of  her  approbation  of  his  father’s  services. 
These  country  retreats  are  delightful  after  the  narrow 

streets  and  impure  air  of  the  city .  We  saw 

there  a  good  engraving  of  Queen  Victoria,  with  the 
Duchess  of  Sutherland  and  Lady  Normanby. 

11th.  —  Yesterday  we  went  to  see  the  procession  of 
the  patron  saint,  San  Cristobal,  from  the  balconies  of 
the  Yntendencia.  It  is  a  fine,  spacious  building,  and, 
together  with  the  Captain-General’s  palace,  stands 
in  the  Plaza  de  Armas,  which  was  crowded  with  ne¬ 
groes  and  negresses,  all  dressed  in  white,  with  white 
muslin  and  blonde  mantillas,  framing  and  showing  off 
their  dusky  physiognomies. 

Two  regiments,  with  excellent  bands  of  music, 
conducted  the  procession,  composed  of  monks  and 


20 


DJNNER  AT  GENERAL  SI- 


•O  S. 


priests.  San  Cristobal,  a  large  figure  with  thick  gold 
legs,  surrounded  by  gold  angels  with  gold  wings, 
was  carried  by  to  the  music  of  “  Suoni  latromba,”  to 
which  were  adapted  the  words  of  a  hymn  in  praise 
of  Liberty. 

We  attended  mass  in  the  morning  in  the  church 
of  San  Felipe,  and  entered,  preceded,  according  to 
custom,  by  a  little  negro  footman  carrying  a  piece  of 
carpet.  There  were  few  people  in  church,  but  the 
grouping  was  picturesque.  The  black  faces  of  the 
negresses,  with  their  white  mantillas  and  white  satin 
shoes,  the  black  silk  dresses  and  black  lace  mantillas 
of  the  Havana  ladies,  with  their  white  faces  and 
black  eyes  and  little  liveried  negroes  standing  behind 
them  —  the  officers,  music  and  long-bearded  priests, 
all  were  very  effective. 

Found,  on  my  return,  an  excellent  Erard  harp, 
sent  me  by  the  Marqucsa  de  A - s,  a  pretty  wo¬ 

man  and  female  Croesus. 

A  splendid  entertainment  was  given  us  to-day  by 

General  M - o.  His  house  is  large  and  cool  ;  the 

dinner,  as  usual,  in  the  gallery,  and  although  there 
were  ninety-seven  guests,  and  as  many  negroes  in 
waiting,  the  heat  was  not  oppressive.  The  jewels  of 
the  ladies  were  superb,  especially  the  diamonds  of 

the  M - family  ;  sprays,  necklaces,  earrings,  really 

beautiful.  The  Marquesa  de  A - wore  a  set  of 

emeralds  the  size  of  small  eggs.  She  had  a  pretty, 
graceful-looking  daughter  with  her,  with  beautiful 
eyes.  Even  the  men  were  well  sprinkled  with  dia¬ 
monds  and  rubies. 

The  dessert,  from  variety  and  quantity,  was  a  real 


queen  of  Spain’s  birth-day.  21 

curiosity.  Immense  vases  and  candelabras  of  ala¬ 
baster  were  placed  at  different  distances  on  the  table, 
and  hundreds  of  porcelain  dishes  were  filled  with 
sweetmeats  and  fruits  —  sweetmeats  of  every  de¬ 
scription,  from  the  little  meringue,  called  “  mouthful 
for  a  queen,”  to  the  blancmanger  made  of  supreme 
de  volaille  and  milk. 

After  dinner  our  health  was  drank,  and  another 
poetical  address  pronounced.  The  evening  concluded 
with  music  and  the  Havana  country  dances. 

2 Oth.  —  Yesterday  being  the  Queen  of  Spain’s 
birth-day,  a  dinner  was  given  to  us  at  the  Yntenden- 
cia.  The  house  in  size  is  a  palace,  and  the  apart¬ 
ments  innumerable.  The  dinner  very  elegant,  and 
the  dessert  arranged  in  another  room,  a  curiosity  as 
usual  for  profusion  and  variety.  Her  Majesty’s 

health  was  proposed  by  Don  B — * — o  H— - a,  and 

so  well-timed,  that  all  the  guns  of  the  forts  fired  a 
salute,  it  being  sunset,  just  as  the  toast  was  conclud¬ 
ed,  which  was  drank  with  real  enthusiasm  and  hearty 
good-will.  According  to  Spanish  custom,  the  aristo¬ 
cracy  generally  se  tutoient,  and  call  each  other  by 
their  Christian  names  ;  indeed,  they  are  almost  all 
connected  by  intermarriages.  You  may  guess  at  an 
inferior  in  rank,  only  by  their  increased  respect  to¬ 
wards  him. 

We  stood  on  the  balcony  in  the  evening.  The 
scene  was  beautiful,  the  temperature  rather  warm, 
yet  delicious  from  the  softness  of  the  breeze.  The 
moon  rose  so  bright  that  she  seemed  like  the  sun 
shining  through  a  silvery  veil.  Groups  of  figures 
were  sauntering  about  in  the  square,  under  the  trees, 


22 


THEATRE  OF  TACON. 


and  two  bands  having  stationed  themselves  with 
lamps  and  music,  played  alternately  pieces  from 
Mozart  and  Bellini.  We  regretted  leaving  so  de¬ 
lightful  a  scene  for  the  theatre,  where  we  arrived  in 
time  to  hear  La  Pantanelli  sing  an  Aria,  dressed  in 
helmet  and  tunic,  and  to  see  La  Jota  Arragonesa 
danced  by  two  handsome  Spanish  girls  in  good  style. 

One  evening  we  went  to  the  theatre  of  Tacon,  to 
the  Captain-General’s  box.  It  is  certainly  a  splendid 
house,  large,  airy  and  handsome.  The  play  was  the 
“  Campanero  de  San  Pablo,”  which  though  generally 
liked,  appears  to  me  a  complicated  and  unnatural 
composition,  with  one  or  two  interesting  scenes. 
The  best  actor  was  he  who  represented  the  blind 
man.  The  chief  actress  is  an  overgrown  dame,  all 
fat  and  dimples,  who  kept  up  a  constant  sobbing  and 
heaving  of  her  chest,  yet  never  getting  rid  of  an 
eternal  smirk  upon  her  face.  A  bolero,  danced  after¬ 
wards  by  two  Spanish  damsels  in  black  and  silver, 
was  very  refreshing. 

23c/.  —  Tomorrow  we  sail  in  the  Jason,  should 
the  wind  not  prove  contrary.  Visits,  dinners,  and 
parties  have  so  occupied  our  time,  that  to  write  has 
been  next  to  impossible.  Of  the  country  we  have, 
from  the  same  reason,  seen  little,  and  the  people  we 
are  only  acquainted  with  in  full  dress,  which  is  not 
the  way  to  judge  of  them  truly.  One  morning,  in¬ 
deed,  we  dedicated  to  viewing  the  works  of  the  Yn- 
tendente,  the  railroad,  and  the  water-filterers.  He 
and  the  Countess,  and  a  party  of  friends,  accompa¬ 
nied  us. 

The  country  through  which  the  railroad  passes,  is 


CURE  BY  LIGHTNING. 


23 


flat  and  rather  monotonous  ;  nevertheless,  the  quan¬ 
tity  of  wild  flowers,  which  appeared  for  the  most 
part  of  the  convolvulus  species,  as  we  glanced  past 
them  —  the  orange-trees,  the  clumps  of  palm  and 
cocoa,  the  plantain  with  its  gigantic  leaves,  the  fresh 
green  coffee-plant,  the  fields  of  sugar-cane  of  a  still 
brighter  green,  the  half-naked  negroes,  the  low 
wooden  huts,  and,  still  more,  the  scorching  sun  in 
the  month  of  November,  —  all  was  new  to  us,  and 
sufficient  to  remind  us  of  the  leagues  of  ocean  we 
had  traversed,  though  this  is  but  a  halt  on  our  voyage. 

At  the  village  where  the  cars  stopped,  we  lis¬ 
tened  with  much  amusement  to  the  story  of  a  fat, 
comfortable-looking  individual,  who  was  cured  by 
lightning  in  the  following  manner.  He  was  in  the 
last  stage  of  a  decline,  when,  one  hot  July  morn¬ 
ing,  he  was  knocked  down  by  a  thunderbolt,  a  ball 
of  fire,  which  entered  his  side,  ran  all  through  his 
body,  and  came  out  at  his  arm.  At  the  place  where 
the  ball  made  its  exit,  a  large  ulcer  was  formed,  and 
when  it  dispersed  he  found  himself  in  perfect  health, 
in  which  he  has  continued  ever  since  !  In  such  cases 
the  “bottled  lightning,”  demanded  by  Mrs.  Nickleby’s 
admirer,  might  be  a  valuable  remedy. 

Of  course,  I  could  not  leave  Havana  without  de¬ 
voting  one  morning  to  shopping.  The  shops  have 
most  seducing  names  —  Hope,  Wonder,  Desire,  &c. 
The  French  modistes  seem  to  be  wisely  improving 
their  time,  by  charging  respectable  prices  for  their 
work.  The  shopkeepers  bring  their  goods  out  to 
the  volante,  it  not  being  the  fashion  for  ladies  to  en¬ 
ter  the  shops,  though  I  took  the  privilege  of  a  for- 


24 


BALL  AT  THE  COUNTESS  F 


a’s. 

eigner  to  infringe  this  rule  occasionally.  Silks  and 
satins  very  dear  —  lace  and  muslin  very  reasonable, 
was,  upon  the  whole,  the  result  of  my  investigation  ; 
but  as  it  only  lasted  two  hours,  and  that  my  sole 
purchases  of  any  consequence  were  an  indispensable 
mantilla,  and  a  pair  of  earrings,  I  give  my  opinion 
for  the  present  with  due  diffidence. 

I  can  speak  with  more  decision  on  the  subject  of  a 
great  ball  given  us  by  the  Countess  F - a,  last  even¬ 

ing,  which  was  really  superb.  The  whole  house  was 
thrown  open  —  there  was  a  splendid  supper,  quanti¬ 
ties  of  refreshments,  and  the  whole  select  aristocracy 
of  Havana.  Diamonds  on  all  the  women,  jewels  and 
orders  on  all  the  men,  magnificent  lustres  and  mirrors, 
and  a  capital  band  of  music  in  the  gallery. 

The  Captain-General  was  the  only  individual  in  a 
plain  dress.  He  made  himself  very  agreeable,  in  good 
French.  About  one  hundred  couple  stood  up  in  each 
country  dance,  but  the  rooms  are  so  large  and  so  ju¬ 
diciously  lighted ,  that  we  did  not  feel  at  all  warm. 
Waltzes,  quadrilles,  and  these  long  Spanish  dances, 
succeeded  each  other.  Almost  all  the  girls  have  fine 
eyes  and  beautiful  figures,  but  without  color,  or  much 
animation.  The  finest  diamonds  were  those  of  the 

Countess  F - a,  particularly  her  necklace,  which 

was  undeniable. 

Walking  through  the  rooms  after  supper,  we  were 
amused  to  see  the  negroes  and  negresses  helping  them¬ 
selves  plentifully  to  the  sweetmeats,  uncorking  and 
drinking  fresh  bottles  of  Champagne,  and  devouring 
everything  on  the  supper-tables,  without  the  slightest 
concern  for  the  presence  either  of  their  master  or 


SOUVENIRS. 


25 


mistress  ;  in  fact,  behaving  like  a  multitude  of  spoilt 
children,  who  are  sure  of  meeting  with  indulgence, 
and  presume  upon  it.  . 

Towards  morning  we  were  led  down  stairs  to  a 
large  suite  of  rooms,  containing  a  library  of  several 
thousand  volumes  ;  where  coffee,  cakes,  &c.,  were 
prepared  in  very  beautiful  Sevres  porcelaine  and  gold 
plate.  We  left  the  house,  at  last,  to  the  music  of  the 
national  hymn  of  Spain,  which  struck  up  as  we 
passed  through  the  gallery. 

Should  the  north  wind,  the  dreaded  Norte  not 
blow,  we  sail  tomorrow,  and  have  spent  the  day  in 
receiving  farewell  visits.  We  also  went  to  the  the¬ 
atre,  where  every  one  predicts  we  shall  not  get  off 
to-morrow.  The  play  was  “  Le  Gamin  de  Paris,” 
translated.  After  our  return,  I  paid  a  very  late  visit 

to  the  P - r  family,  who  live  close  by  us,  and  now, 

at  two  in  the  morning,  I  finish  my  letter  sleepily. 
Many  beautiful  souvenirs  have  been  sent  us,  and 

amongst  others,  the  Count  de  S — —  V - has  just 

sent  C - n  a  model  of  the  palace  of  Madrid,  one 

of  the  most  beautiful  and  ingenious  pieces  of  work¬ 
manship  possible.  It  is  carved  in  wood,  with  aston¬ 
ishing  accuracy  and  delicacy. 

My  next  letter  will  be  dated  on  board  the  Jason. 


VOL.  I. 


3 


LETTER  THE  THIRD. 


Departure  in  the  Jason  —  Spanish  Captain  and  Officers  —  Life  on 
board  a  Man  of  War  —  “  Balances  ”  —  Fishing  —  “  Le  petit 
tambour  ”  —  Cocoa-nuts  —  A  Norte  —  Spanish  proverb  —  Peak 
of  Orizava  —  Theory  and  practice  —  Norte  chocolatero  —  Con¬ 
trary  winds —  Chain  of  Mountains  —  Goleta. 

Jason,  2-lth  November. 

This  morning,  at  six  o’clock,  we  breakfasted,  together 
with  Captain  Estrada,  the  commander  of  the  Jason, 
at  the  Casa  H - a  ;  and  the  wind  being  fair,  re¬ 

paired  shortly  after  in  volantes  to  the  wharf,  accom¬ 
panied  by  our  hospitable  host,  and  several  of  our 
acquaintances  ;  entered  the  boat,  looked  our  last  of 
the  Palace  and  the  Yntendencia,  and  of  Havana 
itself,  where  we  had  arrived  as  strangers,  and  which 
now,  in  fifteen  days,  had  begun  to  assume  a  familiar 
aspect,  and  to  appear  interesting^  in  our  eyes,  by  the 
mere  force  of  human  sympathy  ;  and  were  transported 
to  the  ship,  where  a  line  of  marines,  drawn  up  to  re¬ 
ceive  us,  presented  arms  as  we  entered.  The  morn¬ 
ing  was  beautiful  ;  little  wind,  but  fair.  We  took 
leave  of  our  friends,  waived  our  handkerchiefs  to  the 
balconies  in  return  for  signals  from  scarcely-distin- 
guishable  figures,  passed  beneath  the  red-tinted  Ca¬ 
bana  and  the  stately  Mono,  and  were  once  more  upon 
the  deep,  with  a  remembrance  behind,  and  a  hope 
before  us.  Our  Bergantina  is  a  handsome  vessel, 


CAPTAIN  AND  OFFICERS. 


27 


with  twenty-five  guns,  five  officers,  a  doctor,  chaplain 
and  purser,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  men. 

We  find  the  commander  very  attentive,  and  a  per¬ 
fect  gentleman,  like  almost  all  of  his  class,  and  though 
very  young  in  appearance,  he  has  been  twenty-nine 
years  in  the  service. 

25th.  —  The  weather  delightful,  and  the  ship  going 
at  the  rate  of  five  knots  an  hour.  The  accommoda¬ 
tions  in  a  brig  not  destined  for  passengers  are  of  course 
limited.  There  is  a  large  cabin  for  the  officers,  sepa¬ 
rated  by  a  smaller  one,  belonging  to  the  captain, 
wffiich  he  has  given  up  to  us. 

At  seven  o’clock,  C - n  rises,  and  at  eight,  a 

marine  sentinel,  transformed  into  a  lady’s  page,  whom 
we  are  taking  to  Mexico  as  Porter,  brings  us  some 
very  delicious  chocolate.  He  is  followed  by  the  Cap¬ 
tain’s  familiar,  an  unhappy-looking  individual,  pale, 
lank  and  lean,  with  the  physiognomy  of  a  methodist 
parson,  and  in  general  appearance  like  a  weed  that 
has  grown  up  in  one  night.  He  tremblingly,  and  with 
most  rueful  countenance,  carries  a  small  plate  of  sugar- 
biscuits.  These  originals  having  vacated  the  cabin,  I 
proceed  to  dress,  an  operation  of  some  difficulty, 
which  being  performed  tant  him  que  mal,  I  repair  up 
stairs,  armed  with  book  and  fan,  and  sit  on  deck  till 
ten  o’clock,  when  the  familiar’s  lamentable  announce¬ 
ment  of  breakfast,  takes  us  down  stairs.  The  cook 
being  French,  the  comestibles  are  decidedly  good,  and 
were  the  artist  a  little  less  of  an  oil  and  more  of  a 
water  painter,  I  individually  would  prefer  his  style. 
We  have  every  variety  of  fish,  meat,  fowl,  fruit, 
clulces  and  wines. 


28 


FISHING. 


A  very  long  interval  has  to  be  filled  up,  by  reading, 
writing,  sitting  or  walking  upon  deck,  as  suits  the 
taste  of  the  individual,  or  by  drinking  orangeade,  or 
by  sleeping,  or  by  any  other  ingenious  resource  for 
killing  time.  At  five,  dinner,  at  which  no  one  joins 
us  but  the  captain  and  one  officer ;  and  after  dinner, 
on  deck  till  bed-time,  walking  about,  or  gazing  on  the 
sky  or  sea,  or  listening  to  the  songs  of  the  sailors. 

2 6th. — Little  wind,  but  a  day  of  such  abominably 
cruel  “  balances ,”  as  they  call  them,  that  one  is 
tempted  to  find  rest  by  jumping  overboard.  Every¬ 
thing  broken  or  breaking.  Even  the  cannons  dis¬ 
gorge  their  balls,  which  fall  out  by  their  own  weight. 

28th.  —  We  have  had  two  days  of  perfect  weather, 
though  very  warm ;  the  sky  blue,  without  one  cloud. 
To-day  we  are  on  the  sound,  and  have  lain  to,  about 
noon,  to  let  the  sailors  fish,  thereby  losing  an  hour  or 
so  of  fair  wind,  and  catching  a  preposterous  number 
of  fish  of  immense  size.  The  water  was  so  clear, 
that  we  could  see  the  fish  rush  and  seize  the  bait  as 
fast  as  it  was  thrown  in.  Sometimes  a  huge  shark 
would  bite  the  fish  in  two,  so  that  the  poor  finny 
creature  was  between  Scylla  and  Charybdis.  These 
fish  are  called  cherne  and  pargo,  and  at  dinner  were 
pronounced  good.  At  length  a  shark,  in  its  whole¬ 
sale  greediness,  seized  the  bait,  and  feeling  the  hook 
in  his  horrid  jaw,  tugged  most  fiercely  to  release  him¬ 
self,  but  in  vain.  Twelve  sailors  hauled  him  in,  when, 
with  distended  jaws,  he  seemed  to  lbok  out  for  the 
legs  of  the  men,  whereupon  they  rammed  the  butt-end 
of  a  harpoon  down  his  throat,  which  put  a  stop  to  all 
further  proceedings  on  his  part.  He  was  said  to  be 


LE  PETIT  TAMBOUR. 


29 


u 


>> 


quite  young,  perhaps  the  child  of  doting  parents. 
The  juvenile  monster  had,  however,  already  cut  three 
rows  of  teeth. 

We  are  sometimes  amused  in  the  evening,  when 
upon  deck,  by  a  little  drummer,  who  invariably  collects 
all  the  sailors  round  him,  and  spins  them  long,  endless 
stories  of  his  own  invention,  to  which  they  listen  with 
intense  interest.  On  he  goes,  without  a  moment’s 
hesitation,  inventing  everything  most  improbable  and 
wonderful ;  of  knights  and  giants  and  beautiful  prin¬ 
cesses,  and  imprisoned  damsels,  and  poor  peasants 
becoming  great  kings.  He  is  a  little  ugly,  active  fel¬ 
low,  with  a  turned-up  nose,  a  merry  eye  and  a  laugh¬ 
ing  mouth.  Amongst  his  axioms  is  the  following 
verse,  which  he  sings  with  great  expression. 

Hasta  los  palos  del  monte 
Tienen  su  destinacion 
Unos  nacen  para  santos 
Y  otros  para  hacer  carbon. 

which  may  be  translated  so  : 

Even  the  mountain-trees 
Have  their  allotted  goal, 

For  some  are  born  for  saints 
Whilst  others  serve  for  coal. 

2 9th.  —  Beautiful  day,  fair  wind,  great  heat  and 
more  fishing.  At  least  thirty  large  fish  were  caught 
this  morning,  also  an  infant  shark,  a  grandchild  who 
had  wandered  forth  to  nibble,  and  met  an  untimely 
grave.  We  have  seen  several  alacrans,  or  scorpions 
on  board,  but  these  are  said  not  to  be  poisonous. 
The  ship  is  the  perfection  of  cleanness.  No  disa- 
3* 


30 


A  SOUTH  WIND. 


greeable  odor  affects  the  olfactory  nerves,  in  which 
it  has  a  singular  advantage  over  all  packets.  This, 
and  having  it  all  to  ourselves,  and  the  officers  being 
such  perfect  gentlemen  and  all  so  kind  and  attentive, 
makes  our  voyage  so  far  a  mere  pleasure  trip. 

We  had  some  of  the  Countess  de  V - ’s  cocoa- 

nuts,  of  which  she  sent  us  a  great  supply,  pierced 
this  morning,  each  containing  three  tumblers  of  fresh 
and  delicious  water. 

Is*1  December.  —  We  are  now  about  thirty  leagues 
from  Vera  Cruz,  and  if  the  wind  blows  a  little  fresher, 
may  reach  it  to-morrow.  This  is  Sunday,  but  the 
chaplain  is  too  sick  to  say  mass,  and  the  heat  is  intense. 

2 d. —  An  unpleasant  variety  —  a  Norte  !  I  knew 
it  was  coming  on,  only  by  the  face  of  the  first  lieu¬ 
tenant  when  he  looked  at  the  barometer.  His  coun¬ 
tenance  fell  as  many  degrees  as  the  instrument.  It 
is  very  slight,  but  our  entry  into  port  will  be  delayed, 
for,  on  the  coast,  these  winds  are  most  devoutly 
dreaded.  It  has  rained  all  day,  and  notwithstanding 
the  rolling  of  the  ship,  we  attempted  a  game  at  chess, 
but  after  having  tried  two  games,  abandoned  it  in 
despair,  a  “ balance  ”  having  at  the  most  interesting 
period  of  each,  overturned  the  board,  and  left  the 
victory  undecided,  somewhat  after  the  fashion  of 
Homer’s  goddess,  when  she  enveloped  the  contend¬ 
ing  armies  in  a  cloud. 

4th.  —  Yesterday  evening  a  south  wind,  and  the 
Spanish  proverb  says  truly 

“  Sur  duro, 

Norte  Seguro.” 

“  A  south  wind  strong, 

The  norther  ere  long.” 


THE  DOCTOR. 


31 


This  morning  the  sky  is  covered  with  watery  clouds, 
yet  we  can  see  the  Cofre  de  Perote  and  the  peak  of 
Orizava,  which  are  thirty  leagues  inland  !  The  latter, 
called  by  the  Mexicans,  Citlal  Tepetl,  or  the  moun¬ 
tain  of  the  star,  from  the  fire  which  used  to  burn  on 
its  lofty  summit,  rises  nineteen  thousand  five  hundred 
and  fifty-one  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Covered 
with  perpetual  snows,  and  rising  far  above  clouds  and 
tempests,  it  is  the  first  mountain  which  the  navigator 
discovers  as  he  approaches  these  shores. 

But  the  south  wind  continues  and  we  are  obliged 
to  turn  our  back  to  the  coast.  There  is  much  impa¬ 
tience  on  board.  A - was  taken  ill,  and  declared 

she  had  got  the  yellow  fever.  The  doctor  was  sent 
for,  who,  very  sick  himself,  and  holding  by  the  table 
to  keep  himself  from  falling,  told  her,  without  looking 
at  her  very  particularly,  that  there  was  nothing  the 
matter,  only  to  keep  herself  “  quite  quiet  and  still 
and  the  ship  rolling  at  the  same  moment,  he  pitched 
head-foremost  out  of  the  cabin,  showing  practically 
how  much  easier  precept  is  than  example.  As  we 
shall  no  doubt  have  a  norther  after  this,  which  may 
last  three  days,  our  promised  land  is  still  at  some 
distance. 

5 th.  —  The  weather  is  charming,  but  the  south¬ 
west  wind  holds  most  implacably,  and  the  barometer 
has  fallen  five  or  six  degrees,  which,  added  to  other 
signs  of  the  times  known  to  navigators,  causes  all 
hands  to  prepare  for  the  dreaded  enemy. 

6th.  —  Job  never  was  on  board  a  ship.  A  norther, 
not  a  very  severe  one,  but  what  they  call  a  Norte 
chocolatero,  that  is,  its  shock  tore  a  sail  in  two,  as  I 


32 


HORRIBLE  NIGHT. 


tear  this  sheet  of  paper.  The  most  ingenious  person 
I  see  is  the  “  master  of  the  sails.”  He  sews  most 
excessively  quick  and  well.  Towards  evening  the 
wind  calmed,  but  the  ship,  tossed  upon  a  horribly 
swelled  sea,  became  a  mortal  purgatory.  Still  the 
wind  is  lulled,  though  Humboldt  and  others  say  that 
a  Norte  must  last  forty-eight  hours,  and  we  have  only 
had  it  for  twenty-four.  We  shall  see. 

1th. —  A  most  horrible  night!  My  hammock, 
which  I  had  foolishly  preferred  to  a  bed,  not  having 
room  to  swing  in,  threw  me  furiously  against  the  wall, 
till  fearing  a  broken  head,  I  jumped  out  and  lay  on 
the  floor.  To-day  there  is  a  comparative  calm,  a 
faint  continuation  of  the  Norte,  which  is  an  air  with 
variations.  Everything  now  seems  melancholy  and 
monotonous.  We  have  been  tossed  about  during 
four  days  in  sight  of  Vera  Cruz,  and  are  now  further 
from  it  than  before.  The  officers  begin  to  look 
miserable ;  even  the  cook  with  difficulty  preserves 
his  equilibrium. 

Sunday,  8th.  —  A  Norte  !  The  sky  is  watery,  and 
covered  with  shapeless  masses  of  reddish  clouds. 
This  is  a  great  day  amongst  all  Spanish  Catholics, 
Le  Virgen  de  la  Concepcion,  the  patroness  of  Spain 
and  the  Indies ;  but  no  mass  to-day ;  the  padre 
sick,  and  the  Norte  blowing.  What  a  succession  of 
long  faces  —  walking  barometers  1 

9th.  —  Yesterday  evening  the  wind  held  out  false 
hopes,  and  every  one  brightened  up  with  caution,  for 
the  wind,  though  faintly,  blew  from  the  right  quar¬ 
ter.  The  rain  ceased,  the  weather  cleared,  and 
“  hope,  the  charmer,”  smiled  upon  us.  The  greater 


LITTLE  WIND. 


33 


was  our  disappointment  when  the  breeze  died  away, 
when  the  wind  veered  to  the  north,  and  when  once 
more  the  most  horrible  rolling  seized  the  unfortunate 
Jason,  as  if  it  were  possessed  by  a  demon.  Finding 
it  impossible  to  lie  in  my  hammock,  I  stretched  my¬ 
self  on  the  floor,  where,  during  a  night  that  seem¬ 
ed  interminable,  we  were  tossed  up  and  down, 
knocked  against  the  furniture,  and  otherwise  mal¬ 
treated. 

This  morning  there  is  little  wind,  but  that  little 
from  the  north,  so  that  the  termination  of  our  voyage 
appears  as  far  off  now  as  it  did  eight  days  ago.  The 
faces  of  all  on  board  are  calmly  lugubrious.  Little 
said.  A  few  Spanish  shrugs  interchanged  with  omi¬ 
nous  significance. 

10th.  —  As  there  is  only  one  particular  wind  dur¬ 
ing  which  it  is  not  dangerous  to  approach  the  coast, 
namely,  “  la  brisa ,”  the  breeze  which  usually  follows 
the  norther,  we  may  spend  our  Christmas  here.  The 
weather  is  beautiful,  though  very  sultry,  especially 
during  the  calms  which  intervene  between  the  nortes. 
With  books  one  might  take  patience,  but  I  have 
read  and  re-read  backwards  and  forwards  everything 
I  possess,  or  can  find  —  reviews,  magazines,  a  vol¬ 
ume  of  Humboldt,  even  an  odd  volume  of  the  “  Bar¬ 
ber  of  Paris”  —  “Turkish  Letters,”  'purporting  to 
be  the  translation  of  a  continuation  of  Montesquieu’s 
Lettres  Persanes,  and  in  which  the  hero,  disguised  as 
a  gardener,  brings  the  Visier’s  daughter  a  bouquet, 
which  she  condescendingly  receives,  lying  in  bed  a 
l’Espagnole !  I  am  now  reduced  to  a  very  serious 
Spanish  work  on  the  truth  of  Christianity. 


34 


CONTRARY  WIND. 


This  evening,  to  the  joy  of  all  on  board,  arose  the 
long-desired  breeze.  The  ship  went  slowly  and 
steadily  on  her  course,  at  first  four,  then  eight  knots 
an  hour.  The  captain,  however,  looked  doubtingly, 
and,  indeed,  towards  morning,  the  wind  changed  to 
the  south,  and  our  hopes  died  away. 

11  th.  —  Contrary  wind.  A  south,  expected  to  be 
followed  by  a  “  norte  seguro.”  But  now,  at  eleven, 
a.  m.,  it  is  quite  calm,  and  very  sultry,  whilst  to  in¬ 
crease,  if  possible,  our  weariness,  a  long  range  of  lofty 
mountains  stretches  along  the  horizon,  from  Punta 
Delgada  to  the  Cofre  de  Perote,  and  on  till  they 
seem  to  sink  in  the  ocean.  Behind  the  Cofre,  rises 
Orizava,  now  like  a  white  cloud,  but  this  morning 
tinged  with  a  rosy  light  by  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun. 
The  sea  is  tranquil  and  the  horizon  clear,  neverthe¬ 
less,  the  enemy  is  looked  for.  There  are  a  few  white 
and  feathery  clouds  flickering  about  in  the  sky,  and 

there  is  an  uneasy  swell  in  the  waves . At  three 

o’clock,  out  burst  the  norther,  which,  like  the  flaming 
sword,  guarding  the  issues  of  paradise, 

“  Wav’d  over  by  that  flaming  brand,  the  gate 
With  dreadful  faces  throng’d  and  fiery  arms,” 


seems  to  warn  off  all  vessels  from  approaching  these 
iron-bound  shores.  Eleven  days  within  a  few  hours 
distance  of  the  coast ! 

1 6th.  —  Five  days  more  passed  with  a  continua¬ 
tion  of  contrary  winds  and  constant  rolling.  We  are 
further  from  hope  than  we  were  fourteen  days  ago. 
Captain,  officers,  sailors,  all  seem  nearly  disheart¬ 
ened.  This  morning  they  caught  the  most  beauti- 


GOLETA. 


35 


ful  fish  I  ever  beheld,  of  the  dolphin  species  —  the 
Cleopatra  of  the  ocean,  about  four  feet  long,  appa¬ 
rently  entirely  composed  of  gold,  and  studded  with 
turquoises.  It  changed  color  in  dying.  There  is  a 
proverb,  which  the  sailors  are  repeating  to  each  other, 
not  very  encouraging :  “  Este  es  el  viage  del  Orinoco. 
Q,ue  el  que  no  se  murio,  se  volvio  loco.”  “  This  is 
the  voyage  of  the  Orinoco,  in  which  he  who  did  not 
die,  became  crazy.” 

llth.  —  Spoke  a  goleta,  which  came  close  up  by 
our  vessel,  and  seemed  to  have  a  miserable  set  on 
board,  amongst  others,  a  worthy  pair  from  Havana, 
who  have  just  come  out  of  prison,  having  been  ac¬ 
cused  of  murdering  a  negro.  The  wind  continues 
contrary.  I  shall  fold  up  this  sea-scrawl,  and  write 
no  more  till  we  reach  Vera  Cruz. 


LETTER  THE  FOURTH. 


Distant  View  of  Vera  Cruz  —  Pilots — Boat  from  the  City  — 
Mutual  Salutes  —  Approach  to  Vera  Cruz  —  Crowd  on  the 

wharf — House  of  Don  Dionisio  V - o  —  Guard  of  Honor  — 

German  Piano  —  Supper  —  Madonna  —  Aspect  of  the  City  — 
Sopilotes  —  Deliberations  —  General  Guadalupe  Victoria  — 
T wo-headed  Eagle  —  Dilapidated  Saint  —  Harp  —  Theatre  — 
Dona  Inocencia  Martinez  —  Invitation  from  General  Santa 
Anna. 


Vera  Cruz,  ISth. 

This  morning,  the  sanguine  hoped  and  the  despond¬ 
ing  feared,  for  the  wind,  though  inclining  to  la  brisa, 
seemed  unlikely  to  prove  sufficiently  strong  to  enable 
us  to  reach  Vera  Cruz  —  this  being  the  twenty-fifth 
day  since  we  left  Havana ;  a  voyage  that,  with  a 
steamer,  might  be  performed  in  three  days,  and  with 
a  sailing  vessel  and  a  fair  wind,  is  made  in  six  or 
seven.  About  noon,  the  aspect  of  things  became 
more  favorable.  The  breeze  grew  stronger,  and 
with  it  our  hopes. 

At  last  appeared  in  view,  faintly,  certain  spires 
beside  the  low  sandy  land,  which  for  some  time  we 
had  anxiously  watched,  and  at  length  we  could  dis¬ 
tinguish  houses  and  churches,  and  the  fort  of  San 
Juan  de  Ulua,  of  warlike  memory.  By  slow  but 
sure  degrees,  we  neared  the  shore,  until  Vera  Cruz, 
in  all  its  ugliness,  became  visible  to  our  much-wearied 
eyes.  We  had  brought  a  pilot  from  Havana  to  guide 


A  SALUTE. 


37 


us  to  these  dangerous  coasts,  but  though  a  native  of 
these  parts,  it  seemed  that  a  lapse  of  years  had  blunt¬ 
ed  his  memory,  for  we  had  nearly  run  upon  the 
rocks.  A  gun  was  therefore  fired,  and  another  pilot 
came  out,  who  at  sight  of  the  Spanish  flag  waxed  en¬ 
thusiastic,  and  pointing  out  the  castle  to  our  ignorant 
friend,  exclaimed,  alluding  to  the  desperate  struggle 
made  by  the  Spaniards  to  defend  this  their  last 
stronghold  at  the  end  of  the  war,  “  We,  although 
but  a  handful  of  men,  defended  ourselves  for  years 
like  soldiers,  and  now  these  Frenchmen  took  it  in 
three  days !  ”  and,  walking  about  in  a  transport  of 
patriotic  despair,  he  seemed  to  forget  his  actual  duty 
in  the  tide  of  remembrances  which  the  sight  of  Span¬ 
ish  colors  and  a  Spanish  crew  had  called  forth. 

Anything  more  melancholy,  delabre  and  forlorn, 
than  the  whole  appearance  of  things  as  we  drew 
near,  cannot  well  be  imagined.  On  one  side,  the 
fort,  with  its  black  and  red  walls  ;  on  the  other,  the 
miserable,  black-looking  city,  with  hordes  of  large 
black  birds,  called  sopilotes,  hovering  over  some  dead 
carcase  or  flying  heavily  along  in  search  of  carrion. 
Still,  as  the  goal  of  our  voyage,  even  its  dreary  as¬ 
pect  was  welcome,  and  the  very  hills  of  red  sand  by 
which  it  is  surrounded,  and  which  look  like  the  de¬ 
serts  of  Arabia,  appeared  inviting. 

A  boat,  full  of  cocked  hats  was  now  seen  ap¬ 
proaching  from  the  city,  containing  the  Consul  in  full 

uniform,  and  other  authorities.  C - n  having  sent 

for  and  obtained  permission  from  the  Governor,  to 
permit  the  Jason,  contrary  to  established  usages,  to 
anchor  beneath  the  castle,  a  salute  of  twenty  guns 

4 


VOL.  I. 


38 


CROWD  ON  THE  WHARF. 


was  fired  from  our  ship.  Being  upon  deck,  I  was 
nearly  suffocated  with  smoke  and  powder.  A  salute 
of  the  same  number  of  cannon  was  then  fired  from 
the  castle,  in  honor  of  the  first  Spanish  man-of-war 
that  has  appeared  in  this  port  since  the  Revolution. 

And  now  we  prepared,  before  the  sun  went  down, 
to  leave  our  watery  prison  ;  and  the  captain’s  boat 
being  manned,  and  having  taken  leave  of  the 

officers,  we,  that  is,  C - n,  the  commander,  and  I, 

and  my  French  maid  and  her  French  poodle,  got 
into  it.  Then  came  a  salute  of  twenty  guns  from  the 
Jason  in  our  honor,  and  we  rowed  off  amidst  clouds 
of  smoke.  Then  the  fort  gave  us  welcome  with  the 
same  number  of  guns,  and,  amidst  all  this  cannonad¬ 
ing,  we  were  landed  at  the  wharf. 

A  singular  spectacle  the  wharf  presented.  A 
crowd,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  of  all  ages  and 
sexes  of  Vera  Cruzians,  (and  a  very  curious  set  they 
seemed  to  be,)  were  assembled  to  witness  His  Ex¬ 
cellency’s  arrival.  Some  had  no  pantaloons  ;  and 
others,  to  make  up  for  their  neighbors’  deficiencies, 
had  two  pair  —  the  upper  slit  up  the  side  of  the  leg, 
Mexican  fashion.  All  had  large  hats,  with  silver  or 
bead  rolls,  and  every  tin'ge  of  dark  complexion,  from 
the  pure  Indian,  upwards.  Some  dresses  were 
entirely  composed  of  rags,  clinging  together  by  the 
attraction  of  cohesion  ;  others  had  only  a  few  holes 
to  let  in  the  air.  All  were  crowding,  jostling,  and 
nearly  throwing  each  other  into  the  water,  and  gazing 
with  faces  of  intense  curiosity. 

But  a  plume  of  colored  feathers  was  seen  towering 
above  the  copper-colored  crowd,  and  immediate 


GUARD  OF  HONOR. 


39 


passage  was  made  for  an  aid-de-camp  from  the  Gov¬ 
ernor,  General  Guadalupe  Victoria.  He  was  an  im¬ 
mensely  tall  man,  in  a  showy  uniform  all  covered 
with  gold,  with  colossal  epaulettes  and  a  towering 
plume  of  rainbow-colored  feathers.  He  brought  to 
C - n  the  welcome  and  congratulations  of  the  Gen¬ 

eral,  and  those  Spanish  offers  of  service  and  devotion 
which  sound  agreeably,  whatever  be  their  true  value. 

We  now  began  to  move  through  the  crowd,  which 
formed  a  line  on  either  side  to  let  us  pass,  and  en¬ 
tered  the  streets  of  Vera  Cruz,  which  were  crowded, 
balconies  and  all,  and  even  roofs,  with  curious  faces. 
The  guard  formed  as  we  passed,  and  struck  up  a 
march.  The  principal  street  is  wide  and  clean,  and 
we  reached  the  house  of  Senor  V - ~o,  a  rich  mer¬ 

chant,  formerly  consul,  where  we  are  to  reside,  fol¬ 
lowed  to  the  door  by  the  whole  population.  We 
were  received  with  great  hospitality,  and  found  ex¬ 
cellent  rooms  prepared  for  us.  The  house  is  im¬ 
mensely  large  and  airy,  built  in  a  square,  as  they  all 
are,  but  with  that  unfurnished,  melancholy  look, 
which  as  yet  this  style  of  house  has  to  me,  though 
admirably  adapted  to  the  climate. 

A  guard  of  honor,  sent  by  General  Victoria,  trot¬ 
ted  into  the  court-yard,  whose  attendance  C - n 

declined  with  thanks,  observing  that  his  mission  had 
for  object  to  terminate  the  coolness  hitherto  exist¬ 
ing  between  two  families  of  brothers ;  that  between 
members  of  the  same  family  there  was  nothing  to 
fear,  and  all  compliments  were  unnecessary. 

I  found  a  German  piano  in  the  drawing-room,  on 
which  I  was  glad  to  put  my  fingers  after  a  month’s 


40 


ASPECT  OE  THE  CITY. 


abstinence.  A  number  of  gentlemen  came  in  the 

evening  to  visit  C - n.  We  were  received  by  this 

family  with  so  much  real  kindness,  that  we  soon 
found  ourselves  perfectly  at  home.  We  had  a  plen¬ 
tiful  supper —  fish,  meat,  wine  and  chocolate,  fruit 
and  sweetmeats ;  the  cookery,  Spanish  Vern-Cruzi- 
Jied.  A  taste  of  the  style  was  enough  for  me,  garlic 
and  oil  enveloping  meat,  fish  and  fowl,  with  pimen¬ 
tos  and  plantains,  and  all  kinds  of  curious  fruit, 
which  I  cannot  yet  endure.  Bed  was  not  unwel¬ 
come,  and  most  comfortable  beds  we  had,  with  mos¬ 
quito  curtains,  and  sheets  and  pillows  all  trimmed 
with  rich  lace,  so  universal  in  Spanish  houses,  that  it 
is  not,  as  with  us,  a  luxury.  But  the  mosquitoes  had 
entered  in  some  unguarded  moment,  and  they  and 
the  heat  were  inimical  to  sleep. 

19 th.  —  I  opened  my  eyes  this  morning  on  the 
painting  of  a  very  lovely  Madonna,  which  hung,  un¬ 
valued  and  ill-framed,  in  one  corner  of  the  apartment. 
At  eight,  rose  and  dressed,  and  went  to  breakfast. 
Here,  when  there  are  two  guests  whom  they  wish  to 
distinguish,  the  gentleman  is  placed  at  the  head  of 
the  table,  and  his  lady  beside  him. 

To  me  nothing  can  exceed  the  sadness  of  the  as¬ 
pect  of  this  city  and  of  its  environs  —  mountains  of 
moving  sand,  formed  by  the  violence  of  the  north 
winds,  and  which,  by  the  reflection  of  the  sun’s  rays, 
must  greatly  increase  the  suffocating  heat  of  the  at¬ 
mosphere.  The  scene  may  resemble  the  ruins  of 
Jerusalem,  though  without  its  sublimity.  The  houses 
seem  blackened  by  fire ;  there  is  not  a  carriage  on 
the  streets  —  nothing  but  the  men  with  the  wide 


USEFUL  SCAVENGERS. 


41 


trowsers  slit  up  the  side  of  the  leg,  immense  hats, 
and  blankets,  or  sarapes,  merely  a  closed  blanket, 
more  or  less  fine,  with  a  hole  for  the  head  to  go 
through  ;  and  the  women  with  rebosos,  long  colored 
cotton  scarfs  or  pieces  of  ragged  stuff,  thrown  over 
the  head,  and  crossing  over  the  left  shoulder.  Add 
to  this,  the  sopilotes  cleaning  the  streets,  disgusting, 
but  useful  scavengers.  These  valuable  birds  have 
black  feathers,  with  gray  heads,  beaks  and  feet. 
They  fly  in  troops,  and  at  night  perch  upon  the  trees, 
They  are  not  republican,  nor  do  they  appear  inclined 
to  declare  their  independence,  having  kings,  to  whom 
it  is  said  they  pay  so  much  respect,  that  if  one  of  the 
royal  species  arrives  at  the  same  time  with  a  plebeian 
sopilote,  in  sight  of  a  dead  body,  the  latter  humbly 
waits  till  the  sovereign  has  devoured  his  share,  before 
he  ventures  to  approach. 

A  few  ladies  in  black  gowns  and  mantillas  called 
this  morning,  and  various  men.  We  find  the  weather 
sultry.  In  summer,  with  greater  heat  and  the  addi¬ 
tion  of  the  vomiio,  it  must  be  a  chosen  city  !  The 
principal  street,  where  we  live,  is  very  long  and  wide, 
and  seems  to  have  many  good  houses  in  it.  Nearly 
opposite  is  one  which  seems  particularly  well  kept 
and  handsome,  and  where  we  saw  beautiful  flowers 
as  we  passed.  I  find  it  belongs  to  an  English  mer¬ 
chant. 

There  is  much  deliberation  as  to  the  mode  in 
which  we  are  to  travel  to  Mexico.  Some  propose  a 
coach,  others  a  litera  ;  others  advise  us  to  take  the 
diligence.  While  in  this  indecision, '  we  had  a 
visit  this  morning  from  a  remarkable-looking  charac- 


42 


GENERAL  GUADALUPE  VICTORIA. 


ter,  Don  Miguel  S - ,  agent  for  the  diligence  office 

in  Mexico,  a  tall,  dark,  energetic-looking  person. 
He  recommends  the  diligence,  and  offers,  by  accom¬ 
panying  us,  to  ensure  our  safety  from  accidents.  He 
appears  right.  The  diligence  goes  in  four  days,  if  it 
does  not  break  down.  The  coach  takes  any  time 
we  choose  over  that ;  the  literas  nine  or  ten  days, 
going  slowly  on  mules  with  a  sedan-chair  motion. 
The  diligence  has  food  and  beds  provided  for  it  at 
the  inns  —  the  others  nothing.  I  am  in  favor  of  the 
diligence. 

The  couple  from  Havana,  whom  we  passed  in  the 
goleta,  have  very  coolly  requested  permission  to 
accompany  us  to  Mexico,  “  under  the  protection  of 
the  Emhajador  de  EspanaE  We  should  set  off  in 
select  company. 

C - n  called  this  morning  on  General  Victoria. 

Found  his  Excellency  in  a  large  hall  without  furniture 
or  ornament  of  any  sort,  without  even  chairs,  and 
altogether  in  a  style  of  more  than  republican  simpli¬ 
city.  He  has  just  returned  the  visit,  accompanied  by 
his  colossal  aid-de-camp. 

General  Guadalupe  Victoria  is  perhaps  the  last 
man  in  a  crowd  whom  one  would  fix  upon  as  being 
the  owner  of  the  above  high-sounding  cognomen, 
which  in  fact  is  not  his  original  but  his  assumed 
name,  Guadalupe  being  adopted  by  him  in  honor  of 
the  renowned  image  of  the  virgin  of  that  name,  and 
Victoria  with  less  humility,  to  commemorate  his  suc¬ 
cess  in  battle,  tie  is  an  honest,  plain,  down-looking 
citizen,  lame  and  tall,  somewhat  at  a  loss  for  conver¬ 
sation,  apparently,  amiable  and  good-natured,  but 


ENVIRONS  OF  THE  CITY. 


43 


certainly  neither  courtier  nor  orator  ;  a  man  of  unde¬ 
niable  bravery,  capable  of  supporting  almost  incredi¬ 
ble  hardships,  humane,  and  who  has  always  proved 
himself  a  sincere  lover  of  what  he  considered  liberty, 
without  ever  having  been  actuated  by  ambitious  or 
interested  motives. 

It  is  said  that  his  defects  were  indolence,  want  of 
resolution,  and  too  much  reliance  on  his  own  knowl¬ 
edge.  He  is  the  only  Mexican  president  who  finish¬ 
ed  as  chief  magistrate,  the  term  prescribed  by  the 
laws.  It  is  alleged,  in  proof  of  his  simplicity,  though 
I  think  it  is  too  absurd  to  be  true,  that  having 
received  a  dispatch  with  the  two-headed  eagle  on 
Ihe  seal,  he  remarked  to  the  astonished  envoy  who 
delivered  it  —  “  Our  arms  are  very  much  alike,  only 
I  see  that  his  majesty’s  eagles  have  two  heads.  I 
have  heard  that  some  of  that  species  exist  here,  in 
tierra  caliente,  and  shall  have  one  sent  for.” 

The  General  is  not  married,  but  appears  rather 
desirous  of  entering  the  united  state.  He  strongly 
recommends  us  to  avoid  broken  bones  by  going  in 
literas,  at  least  as  far  as  Jalapa.  Having  stumbled 
about  for  some  time  in  search  of  his  cocked  hat,  it 
was  handed  to  him  by  his  aid-de-camp,  and  he  took 
leave. 

We  walked  out  in  the  evening  to  take  a  look  of 

the  environs,  with  Senor  V - o,  the  commander  of 

the  Jason,  and  several  young  ladies  of  the  house. 
We  walked  in  the  direction  of  an  old  church,  where 
it  is  or  was  the  custom  for  young  ladies  desirous  of 
being  married  to  throw  a  stone  at  the  saint,  their 
fortune  depending  upon  the  stone’s  hitting  him,  so 


44 


CITY  OF  VERA  CRUZ. 


that  he  is  in  a  lapidated  and  dilapidated  condition. 
Such  environs !  the  surrounding  houses  black  with 
smoke  of  powder  or  with  tire  —  a  view  of  bare  red 
sand-hills  all  round  —  not  a  tree,  or  shrub,  or  flower, 
or  bird,  except  the  horrid  black  sopilote,  or  police 
officer.  All  looks  as  if  the  prophet  Jeremiah  had 
passed  through  the  city  denouncing  wo  to  the  dwell¬ 
ers  thereof.  Such  a  melancholy,  wholly  deserted- 
looking  burial  ground  as  we  saw  ! 

War  and  revolutions  have  no  doubt  done  their 
work,  yet  I  find  difficulty  in  believing  those  who 
speak  of  Vera  Cruz  as  having  been  a  gay  and  delight¬ 
ful  residence  in  former  days,  though  even  now, 
those  who  have  resided  here  for  any  length  of  time, 
even  foreigners,  almost  invariably  become  attached 
to  it ;  and  as  for  those  born  here,  they  are  the  truest 
of  patriots,  holding  up  Vera  Cruz  as  superior  to  all 
other  parts  of  the  world. 

The  city  was  founded  by  the  Viceroy,  Count  de 
Monterey,  at  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
and  ought  not  to  be  confounded,  as  it  sometimes  is, 
with  either  of  the  two  colonies  founded  by  the  first 
Spaniards.  Built  in  front  of  the  island  of  San  Juan 
de  Ulua,  it  has  one  interesting  recollection  attached 
to  it,  since  on  these  same  arid  shores,  Cortes  disem¬ 
barked  more  than  three  centuries  ago.  Unlike  the 
green  and  fertile  coast  which  gladdened  the  eyes  of 
Columbus,  the  Spanish  conqueror  beheld  a  bleak  and 
burning  desert,  whose  cheerless  aspect  might  well 
have  deterred  a  feebler  mind  from  going  further  in 
search  of  the  paradise  that  existed  behind. 

We  returned  to  the  house,  and  heard  some  ladies 


THEATRE. 


45 


play  upon  a  harp,  so  called,  a  small,  light  instrument 
in  that  form,  but  without  pedals,  so  light,  that  they 
can  lift  it  with  one  hand  ;  and  yet  the  music  they 
bring  from  it  is  surprising ;  one  air  after  another,  a 
little  monotonously,  but  with  great  ease  and  a  certain 
execution,  and  with  the  additional  merit  of  being 
self-taught. 

I  imagine  that  there  must  be  a  great  deal  of  musical 
taste  thrown  away  here.  There  are  pianos  in  almost 
every  house,  and  one  lady,  who  came  to  see  me  to¬ 
day,  and  whose  mother  was  English,  had  been  ex¬ 
tremely  well  taught,  and  played  with  great  taste. 
They  attempted  dancing,  but  having  no  masters,  can 
only  learn  by  what  they  hear.  On  the  balcony,  this 
evening,  it  was  delightful,  and  the  moon  is  a  universal 
beautifier. 

21  st.  —  We  walked  about  the  city  yesterday,  and 
returned  visits.  The  streets  are  clean,  and  some  few 
churches  tolerably  handsome. 

The  Comicos  came  in  the  morning  to  offer  us  the 
centre  box  in  the  theatre,  it  being  the  benefit  night 
of  Doha  Inocencia  Martinez  from  Madrid,  a  favorite 
of  the  public,  and,  in  fact,  a  pretty  woman,  and  good 
comic  actress.  The  theatre  is  small,  and  they  say 
generally  deserted,  but  last  night  it  was  crowded. 
The  drop-scene  represents  the  fine  arts,  who  are  so 
fat,  that  their  condition  here  must  be  flourishing.  We 
were,  however,  agreeably  disappointed  in  the  per¬ 
formance,  which  was  the  “  Segunda  Dama  Duende,” 
nearly  a  translation  from  the  <£  Domino  Noir,”  and 
very  amusing  ;  full  of  excellent  coups-de-theatre. 
Doha  Inocencia  in  her  various  characters,  as  domino, 


46 


INVITATION  FROM  SANTA  ANNA. 


servant-girl,  abbess,  &.C.,  was  very  handsome,  and 
acted  with  great  spirit.  Moreover,  she  and  her  sister, 
with  two  Spaniards,  danced  the  Jota  Aragonesa  in 
perfection,  so  that  we  spent  a  pleasant  evening,  upon 
the  whole,  within  the  precincts  of  the  city  of  the 
True  Cross. 

To-morrow  is  the  day  fixed  for  our  departure,  and 
we  shall  not  be  sorry  to  leave  this  place,  although  this 
house  is  excellent,  a  whole  suite  of  rooms  given  to 
us,  and  neither  ceremony  nor  gene  of  any  sort.  The 
weather  is  certainly  beautiful.  The  heat  may  be  a 
little  oppressive  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  but  the 
evenings  are  cool  and  delightful. 

We  had  a  visit  yesterday,  from  the  English  and 

French  consuls.  M.  de - prophecies  broken  arms 

and  dislodged  teeth,  if  we  persist  in  our  plan  of  taking 
the  diligence,  but  all  things  balanced,  we  think  it 
preferable  to  every  other  conveyance.  General  Vic¬ 
toria  returned  to  see  us  this  morning,  and  was  very 
civil  and  amiable,  offering  very  cordially  every  service 
and  assistance  in  his  power.  We  are  to  rise  to-mor¬ 
row  at  two,  being  invited  to  breakfast  with  General 
Santa  Anna,  at  his  country  seat  Manga  de  Clavo,  a 
few  leagues  from  this. 

We  have  been  sitting  on  the  balcony  till  very  late, 
enjoying  the  moonlight  and  a  refreshing  breeze  from 
the  sea,  and  as  we  rise  before  day-break,  our  rest  will 
be  but  short. 


LETTER  THE  FIFTH. 


Departure  from  Vera  Cruz  —  Sand-hills  —  Oriental  scene  —  Man¬ 
ga  de  Clavo  —  General  Santa  Anna  —  Breakfast  —  Escort  and 
diligence  —  Santa  Fe  —  Puente  Nacional  —  Bridge  sketched 
by  Mrs.  Ward  —  Country  in  December  —  Don  Miguel  —  First 
impressions  —  Fruit  —  Plan  del  Rio  —  German  musicians  — 
Sleeping  Captain  —  Approach  to  Jalapa  —  Appearance  of  the 
City  —  Cofre  de  Perote  —  Flowers  —  House  and  rock  —  Last 
view  of  Jalapa  —  Change  of  scenery  —  San  Miguel  de  los  Sol- 
dados  —  Perote  —  Striking  scene  before  day -break  —  Non-arri¬ 
val  of  escort — Yankee  coachman  —  Dispute  —  Departure  — 
Company  of  lancers  —  Alcalde  —  Breakfast  at  La  ventilla  — 
Pulque  —  Double  escort  —  Crosses  —  Brigand-looking  tavern- 
keeper —  Ojo  de  Agua  —  Arrival  at  Puebla  —  Dress  of  the 
peasants  — -  Christmas  eve  —  Inn  —  “  Nacimiento .” 

Jalapa,  23d  December. 

Yesterday  morning,  at  two  o’clock,  we  rose  by 
candle  light,  with  the  pleasant  prospect  of  leaving 
Vera  Cruz  and  of  seeing  Santa  Anna.  Two  boxes, 
called  carriages,  drawn  by  mules,  were  at  the  door, 

to  convey  us  to  Manga  de  Clavo.  Senor  V - o, 

C - n,  the  commander  of  the  Jason  and  I  being 

encased  in  them,  we  set  off  half  asleep.  By  the  faint 
light,  we  could  just  distinguish  as  we  passed  the  gates, 
and  the  carriages  ploughed  their  way  along,  nothing 
but  sand  —  sand  —  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  ;  a 
few  leagues  of  Arabian  desert. 

At  length  we  began  to  see  symptoms  of  vegeta¬ 
tion  ;  occasional  palm-trees  and  flowers,  and  by  the 


48 


SANTA  ANNA. 


time  we  had  reached  a  pretty  Indian  village,  where 
we  stopped  to  change  mules,  the  light  had  broke  in, 
and  we  seemed  to  have  been  transported,  as  if  by 
enchantment,  from  a  desert  to  a  garden.  It  was 
altogether  a  picturesque  and  striking  scene ;  the 
huts  composed  of  bamboo,  and  thatched  with  palm- 
leaves,  the  Indian  women  with  their  long  black  hair 
standing  at  the  doors  with  their  half-naked  children, 
the  mules  rolling  themselves  on  the  ground,  according 
to  their  favorite  fashion,  snow-white  goats  browzing 
amongst  the  palm-trees,  and  the  air  so  soft  and  balmy, 
the  first  fresh  breath  of  morning ;  the  dew-drops  still 
glittering  on  the  broad  leaves  of  the  banana  and  palm, 
and  all  around  so  silent,  cool  and  still. 

The  huts,  though  poor,  were  clean  ;  no  windows, 
but  a  certain  subdued  light  makes  its  way  through 
the  leafy  canes.  We  procured  some  tumblers  of  new 
milk,  and  having  changed  mules,  pursued  our  journey, 
now  no  longer  through  hills  of  sand,  but  across  the 
country,  through  a  wilderness  of  trees  and  flowers, 
the  glowing  productions  of  tierra  calicnte.  We  ar¬ 
rived  about  five  at  Manga  de  Clavo,  after  passing 
through  leagues  of  natural  garden,  the  property  of 
Santa  Anna. 

The  house  is  pretty,  slight-looking,  and  kept  in 
nice  order.  We  were  received  by  an  aid-de-camp 
in  uniform,  and  by  several  officers,  and  conducted  to 
a  large,  cool,  agreeable  apartment,  with  little  furniture, 
into  which  shortly  entered  the  Senora  de  Santa  Anna, 
tall,  thin,  and  at  that  early  hour  of  the  morning, 
dressed  to  receive  us  in  clear  white  muslin,  with  white 
satin  shoes,  and  with  very  splendid  diamond  ear-rimrs, 


SANTA  ANNA. 


49 


brooch  and  rings.  She  was  very  polite,  and  intro¬ 
duced  her  daughter  Guadalupe,  a  miniature  of  her 
mamma,  in  features  and  costume. 

In  a  little  while  entered  General  Santa  Anna  him¬ 
self  ;  a  gentlemanly,  good-looking,  quietly  dressed, 
rather  melancholy-looking  person,  with  one  leg,  appa¬ 
rently  somewhat  of  an  invalid,  and  to  us  the  most 
interesting  person  in  the  group.  He  has  a  sallow 
complexion,  fine  dark  eyes,  soft  and  penetrating,  and 
an  interesting  expression  of  face.  Knowing  nothing 
of  his  past  history,  one  would  have  said  a  philosopher, 
living  in  dignified  retirement,  one  who  had  tried  the 
wrorld,  and  found  that  all  was  vanity,  one  who  had 
suffered  ingratitude,  and  who,  if  he  were  ever  per¬ 
suaded  to  emerge  from  his  retreat,  would  only  do  so, 
Cincinnatus-like,  to  benefit  his  country.  It  is  strange, 
how  frequently  this  expression  of  philosophic  resigna¬ 
tion,  of  placid  sadness,  is  to  be  remarked  on  the  coun¬ 
tenances  of  the  deepest,  most  ambitious,  and  most 

designing  men.  C- - n  gave  him  a  letter  from  the 

Queen,  written  under  the  supposition  of  his  being  still 
President,  with  which  he  seemed  much  pleased,  but 
merely  made  the  innocent  observation,  “  How  very 
well  the  Queen  writes  !  ” 

It  was  only  now  and  then,  that  the  expression  of 
his  eye  was  startling,  especially  when  he  spoke  of  his 
leg,  which  is  cut  off  below  the  knee.  He  speaks  of 
it  frequently,  like  Sir  John  Ramorny  of  his  bloody 
hand,  and  when  he  gives  an  account  of  his  wound, 
and  alludes  to  the  French  on  that  day,  his  counte¬ 
nance  assumes  that  air  of  bitterness  which  Ramorny’s 

5 


VOL.  I. 


50 


BREAKFAST. 


may  have  exhibited  when  speaking  of  “  Harry  the 
Smith.” 

Otherwise,  he  made  himself  very  agreeable,  spoke 
a  great  deal  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the  persons 
he  had  known  there,  and  in  his  manners  was  quiet 
and  gentlemanlike,  and  altogether  a  more  polished 
hero  than  I  had  expected  to  see.  To  judge  from  the 
past,  he  will  not  long  remain  in  his  present  state  of 
inaction,  besides  having  within  him,  according  to  Za¬ 
vala,  “  a  principle  of  action  forever  impelling  him 
forward.” 

En  attendant ,  breakfast  was  announced.  The 

Senora  de  Santa  Anna  led  me  in.  C - n  was 

placed  at  the  head  of  the  table,  I  on  his  right,  Santa 
Anna  opposite,  the  Senora  on  my  right.  The  break¬ 
fast  was  very  handsome,  consisting  of  innumerable 
Spanish  dishes,  meat  and  vegetables,  fish  and  fowl, 
fruits  and  sweetmeats,  all  served  in  white  and  gold 
French  porcelain,  with  coffee,  wines,  &c.  After 
breakfast,  the  Senora  having  despatched  an  officer  for 
her  cigar-case,  which  was  gold,  with  a  diamond  latch, 
offered  me  a  cigar,  which  I  having  declined,  she  lighted 
her  own,  a  little  paper  “  cigarito,”  and  the  gentle¬ 
men  followed  her  good  example. 

We  then  proceeded  to  look  at  the  out-houses  and 
offices ;  at  the  General’s  favorite  war-horse,  an  old 
white  charger,  probably  a  sincerer  philosopher  than 
his  master  ;  at  several  game-cocks,  kept  with  especial 
care,  cock-fighting  being  a  favorite  recreation  of  Santa 
Anna’s  ;  and  at  his  litera  which  is  handsome  and 
comfortable.  There  are  no  gardens,  but  as  he  ob¬ 
served,  the  whole  country,  which  for  twelve  leagues 


ESCORT  AND  DILIGENCE. 


51 


square  belongs  to  him,  is  a  garden.  The  appearance 
of  the  family  says  little  for  the  healthiness  of  the 
locale  ;  and  indeed  its  beauty  and  fertility  will  not 
compensate  for  its  insalubrity. 

As  we  had  but  a  few  hours  to  spare,  the  General 
ordered  round  two  carriages,  both  very  handsome,  and 
made  in  the  United  States,  one  of  which  conveyed  him 

and  C- - n,  the  Sehora  and  me.  In  the  other  were 

the  little  girl  and  the  officers,  in  which  order  we  pro¬ 
ceeded  across  the  country  to  the  high  road,  where  the 
diligence  and  servants,  with  our  guide,  Don  Miguel 
S - ,  were  to  overtake  us.  The  diligence  not  hav¬ 

ing  arrived,  we  got  down  and  sat  on  a  stone  bench, 
in  front  of  an  Indian  cottage,  where  we  talked,  while 
the  young  lady  amused  herself  by  eating  apples,  and 
C — — n  and  the  General  remained  moralizing  in  the 
carriage. 

Shortly  after,  and  just  as  the  sun  was  beginning  to 
give  us  a  specimen  of  his  power,  our  lumbering  escort 
of  Mexican  soldiers  galloped  up,  (orders  having  been 
given  by  the  government  that  a  fresh  escort  shall  be 
stationed  every  six  leagues,)  and  announced  the  ap¬ 
proach  of  the  diligence.  We  were  agreeably  disap¬ 
pointed  by  the  arrival  of  a  handsome  new  coach, 
made  in  the  United  States,  drawn  by  ten  good-look¬ 
ing  mules,  and  driven  by  a  smart  Yankee  coachman. 
Our  party  consisted  of  ourselves,  Don  Miguel,  the 
captain  of  the  Jason  and  his  first  lieutenant,  who  ac¬ 
company  us  to  Mexico.  The  day  was  delightful,  and 
every  one  apparently  in  good  humor.  We  took  leave 
of  General  Santa  Anna,  his  lady  and  daughter,  also 
of  our  hospitable  entertainer,  Sehor  V— — o  ;  got 


52 


PUENTE  NACIONAL. 


into  the  diligence  —  doors  shut  —  all  right  —  lash  up 
the  mules,  and  now  for  Mexico ! 

Gradually,  as  in  Dante’s  Commedia,  after  leaving 
Purgatory,  typified  by  Vera  Cruz,  we  seemed  to  draw 
nearer  to  Paradise.  The  road  is  difficult,  as  the  ap¬ 
proach  to  Paradise  ought  to  be,  and  the  extraordi¬ 
nary  jolts  were  sufficient  to  prevent  us  from  being  too 
much  enraptured  by  the  scenery,  which  increased  in 
beauty  as  we  advanced.  At  Santa  Fe  and  Sopilote 
we  changed  horses,  and  at  Tolome,  one  of  the  sites 
of  the  civil  war,  came  to  the  end  of  Santa  Anna’s 
twelve  leagues  of  property. 

We  arrived  at  Puente  Nacional,  formerly  Puente 
del  Rey,  celebrated  as  the  scene  of  many  an  engage¬ 
ment  during  the  Revolution,  and  by  occupying  which, 
Victoria  frequently  prevented  the  passage  of  the 
Spanish  troops,  and  that  of  the  convoys  of  silver  to 
the  port.  Here  we  stopped  a  short  time  to  admire 
the  beautiful  bridge  thrown  over  the  river  Antigua, 
with  its  stone  arches,  which  brought  Mrs.  Ward’s 
sketch  to  my  recollection,  though  it  is  very  long  since 
I  saw  the  book.  We  were  accompanied  by  the  com¬ 
mander  of  the  fort.  It  is  now  a  peaceful-looking 
scene.  We  walked  to  the  bridge,  pulled  branches  of 
large  white  flowers,  admired  the  rapid  river  dashing 
over  the  rocks,  and  the  fine,  bold  scenery  that  sur¬ 
rounds  it.  The  village  is  a  mere  collection  of  huts, 
with  some  fine  trees. 

It  was  difficult  to  believe,  as  we  journeyed  on,  that 
we  were  now  in  the  midst  of  December.  The  air 
was  soft  and  balmy.  The  heat,  without  being  op¬ 
pressive,  that  of  a  July  day  in  England.  The  road 


DON  MIGUEL. 


53 


lay  through  a  succession  of  woody  country  ;  trees 
covered  with  every  variety  of  blossom,  and  loaded 
with  the  most  delicious  tropical  fruits ;  flowers  of 
every  color  filling  the  air  with  fragrance,  and  the 
most  fantastical  profusion  of  parasitical  plants  inter¬ 
twining  the  branches  of  the  trees,  and  flinging  their 
bright  blossoms  over  every  bough.  Palms,  cocoas, 
oranges,  lemons,  succeeded  one  another,  and  at  one 
turn  of  the  road,  down  in  a  lovely  green  valley,  we 
caught  a  glimpse  of  an  Indian  woman,  with  her  long 
hair,  resting  under  the  shade  of  a  lofty  tree,  beside  a 
running  stream  —  an  Oriental  picture.  Had  it  not 
been  for  the  dust  and  the  jolting,  nothing  could  have 
been  more  delightful.  As  for  Don  Miguel,  with  his 
head  out  of  the  window,  now  desiring  the  coachman 
to  go  more  quietly,  now  warning  us  to  prepare  for  a 
jolt,  now  pointing  out  everything  worth  looking  at, 
and  making  light  of  all  difficulties,  he  was  the  very 
best  conductor  of  a  journey  I  ever  met  with.  His 
hat  of  itself  was  a  curiosity  to  us ;  a  white  beaver 
with  immense  brim,  lined  with  thick  silver  tissue, 
with  two  large  silver  rolls  and  tassels  round  it. 

One  circumstance  must  be  observed  by  all  who 
travel  in  Mexican  territory.  There  is  not  one  human 
being  or  passing  object  to  be  seen  that  is  not  in  itself 
a  picture,  or  which  would  not  form  a  good  subject 
for  the  pencil.  The  Indian  women,  with  their  plaited 
hair,  and  little  children  slung  to  their  backs,  their 
large  straw  hats,  and  petticoats  of  two  colors  —  the 
long  strings  of  arrieros  with  their  loaded  mules, 
and  swarthy,  wild-looking  faces  —  the  chance  horse¬ 
man  who  passes  with  his  sarape  of  many  colors,  his 


54 


PLAN  DEL  PtIO. 


high  ornamented  saddle,  Mexican  hat,  silver  stirrups 
and  leather  boots  —  all  is  picturesque.  Salvator  Ro¬ 
sa  and  Hogarth  might  have  travelled  here  to  advan¬ 
tage,  hand-in-hand ;  Salvator  for  the  sublime,  and 
Hogarth  taking  him  up  where  the  sublime  became 
the  ridiculous. 

At  La  Calera,  we  had  a  distant  view  of  the  sea. 
Occasionally  we  stopped  to  buy  oranges  fresh  from 
the  trees,  pine-apples  and  granaditas,  which  are  like 
Brobdinagian  gooseberries,  the  pulp  enclosed  in  a 
very  thick,  yellow  or  green  rind,  and  very  refreshing. 

It  was  about  seven  in  the  evening,  when  very 
dusty,  rather  tired,  but  very  much  enchanted  with  all 
we  had  seen,  we  arrived  at  Plan  del  Rio.  Here  the 
diligence  passengers  generally  stop  for  the  night, 
that  is,  sleep  a  few  hours  on  a  hard  bed,  and  rise  at 
midnight  to  go  on  to  Jalapa.  But  to  this  arrange¬ 
ment,  I  for  one,  made  vociferous  objections,  and 
strongly  insisted  upon  the  propriety  and  feasibility  of 
sleeping  at  Jalapa  that  night.  Don  Miguel,  the  most 
obsequious  of  Dons,  declared  it  should  be  exactly  as 
the  Senora  ordered. 

Accordingly  it  was  agreed,  that  we  should  wait 
for  the  moon,  and  then  pursue  our  journey,  and 
meanwhile  we  walked  out  to  a  short  distance,  to  see 
the  bridge,  the  river,  and  the  wood.  The  bridge 
consists  of  a  single  large  arch  thrown  over  the  river, 
and  communicating  with  a  great  high  road,  formerly 
paved,  but  now  going  to  ruin. 

We  returned  to  the  inn,  a  long  row  of  small  rooms, 
built  of  brick  and  prettily  situated,  not  far  from  the 
water.  Here  we  had  the  luxury  of  water  and  towels, 


SUPPER. 


55 


which  enabled  us  to  get  rid  of  a  certain  portion  of 
dust  before  we  went  to  supper. 

The  diligence  from  Jalapa  had  just  deposited  at 
the  inn,  a  German  with  his  wife  and  child,  he  bear¬ 
ing  so  decidedly  the  stamp  of  a  German  musician, 
that  we  at  once  guessed  his  calling.  They  are  from 
Mexico,  from  whence  the  fine  arts  seem  to  be  taking 
their  flight,  and  gave  a  most  woful  account  of  the 
road  between  this  and  Jalapa. 

We  had  a  very  tolerable  supper  ;  soup,  fish,  fowls, 
steak  and  frijoles,  all  well  seasoned  with  garlic  and 
oil.  The  jolting  had  given  me  too  bad  a  headache 
to  care  for  more  than  coffee.  We  were  strongly 
advised  to  remain  the  night  there,  but  lazy  people 
know  too  well  what  it  is  to  rise  in  the  middle  of  the 
night,  especially  when  they  are  much  fatigued  ;  and 
when  the  moon  rose,  we  packed  ourselves  once  more 
into  the  diligence,  sufficiently  refreshed  to  encoun¬ 
ter  new  fatigues.  The  moon  was  very  bright,  and 
most  of  the  party  prepared  themselves  for  sleep  with 
cigars  in  their  mouths  ;  not  a  very  easy  matter,  for 
the  roads  were  infamous,  a  succession  of  holes  and 
rocks.  As  we  were  gradually  ascending,  the  weather 
became  cooler,  and  from  cool  began  to  grow  cold, 
forcing  us  to  look  out  for  cloaks  and  shawls.  We 
could  now  discern  some  change  in  the  vegetation, 
or  rather  a  mingling  of  the  trees  of  a  colder  climate 
with  those  of  the  tropics,  especially  the  Mexican 
oak,  which  begins  to  flourish  here.  Fortunately,  at 
one  part  of  the  road,  the  moon  enabled  us  to  see  the 
captain  of  the  escort  lying  on  the  ground  fast  asleep, 
his  horse  standing  quietly  beside  him,  he  having  fallen 


56 


ARRIVAL  AT  JALAPA. 


off  while  asleep,  and  continued  his  nap.  The  sol¬ 
diers  shook  him  up  with  some  difficulty. 

At  Corral  ft 'also  we  changed  mules,  and  from  the 
badness  of  the  road,  continued  to  go  slowly. 

The  cold  increased,  and  at  last  by  the  moonlight, 
we  had  a  distinct  view  of  the  Peak  of  Orizava,  with 
his  white  night-cap  on,  (excuse  the  simile,  suggested 
by  extreme  sleepiness,)  the  very  sight  enough  to 
make  one  shiver. 

As  we  approached  Jalapa,  the  scene  was  pictur¬ 
esque.  The  escort  had  put  on  their  sarapes,  and, 
with  their  high  helmets  and  feathers,  went  galloping 
along  and  dashing  amongst  the  trees  and  shrubs. 
Orizava  and  the  Cofre  de  Perote  shone  white  in  the 
distance,  while  a  delicious  smell  of  flowers,  particularly 
of  roses,  gave  token  of  the  land  through  which  we 
were  passing. 

It  was  nearly  two  in  the  morning  when  we  reached 
Jalapa,  tired  to  death,  and  shivering  with  cold. 
Greatly  we  rejoiced  as  we  rattled  through  its  moun¬ 
tainous  streets,  and  still  more  when  we  found  our¬ 
selves  in  a  nice  clean  inn,  with  brick  floors  and 
decent  small  beds,  and  everything  prepared  for  us. 
The  sight  of  a  fire  would  have  been  too  much  luxury  ; 
however  they  gave  us  some  hot  tea,  and  very  shortly 
after,  I  at  least  can  answer  for  myself,  that  I  was  in 
bed,  and  enjoying  the  most  delightful  sleep  that  I 
have  had  since  I  left  New  York. 

This  morning,  the  diligence  being  at  our  disposal, 
we  did  not  rise  by  break  of  day,  but  on  the  contrary 
continued  to  sleep  till  eight  o’clock.  I  was  waited 
on  by  such  a  nice,  civil,  clean  little  old  woman,  that 


C0FRE  DE  PEROTE. 


57 


I  should  like  to  carry  her  off  with  me.  Meanwhile, 
various  authorities  of  the  town  were  stationed  at  the 

door  to  give  C - n  welcome  when  he  should 

appear. 

Our  breakfast  was  delicious.  Such  fresh  eggs, 
and  fresh  butter,  and  good  coffee  and  well-fried 
chickens ;  moreover  such  good  bread  and  peculiarly 
excellent  water,  that  we  fell  very  much  in  love  with 
Jalapa. 

After  breakfast  we  walked  out,  accompanied  by 
various  gentlemen  of  the  place.  The  town  consists 
of  little  more  than  a  few  steep  streets,  very  old,  with 
some  large  and  excellent  houses,  the  best  as  usual 
belonging  to  English  merchants,  and  many  to  those 
of  Vera  Cruz,  who  come  to  live  in  or  near  Jalapa, 
during  the  reign  of  the  “  Vomito There  are  some 
old  churches,  a  very  old  convent  of  Franciscan 
monks,  and  a  well-supplied  market-place.  Every¬ 
where  there  are  flowers  —  roses  creeping  over  the 
old  walls,  Indian  girls  making  green  garlands  for  the 
virgin  and  saints,  flowers  in  the  shops,  flowers  at  the 
windows,  but  above  all,  everywhere  one  of  the  most 
splendid  mountain  views  in  the  world. 

The  Cofre  de  Perote,  with  its  dark  pine  forests  and 
gigantic  chest,  (a  rock  of  porphyry  which  takes  that 
form,)  and  the  still  loftier  snow-white  peak  of  Ori- 
zava,  tower  above  all  the  others,  seeming  like  the 
colossal  guardians  of  the  land.  The  intervening 
mountains,  the  dark  cliffs  and  fertile  plains,  the  thick 
woods  of  lofty  trees  clothing  the  hills  and  the  valleys  ; 
a  glimpse  of  the  distant  ocean  ;  the  surrounding 
lanes  shaded  by  fruit  trees  ;  aloes,  bananas,  chiri- 


53 


FLOWERS. 


moyas,  mingled  with  the  green  liquidambar,  the 
flowering  myrtle,  and  hundreds  of  plants  and  shrubs 
and  flowers  of  every  color  and  of  delicious  fragrance, 
all  combine  to  form  one  of  the  most  varied  and 
beautiful  scenes  that  the  eye  can  behold. 

Then  Jalapa  itself,  so  old  and  gray  and  rose- 
becovered,  with  a  sound  of  music  issuing  from  every 
open  door  and  window,  and  its  soft  and  agreeable 
temperature,  presents,  even  in  a  few  hours,  a  series  of 
agreeable  impressions  not  easily  effaced. 

But  we  are  now  returned  to  our  inn,  for  it  is 
near  noon,  and  the  veil  of  clouds,  that  earlier  in  the 
morning  enveloped  Orizava,  has  passed  away,  leaving 
its  white  summit  environed  by  a  flood  of  light.  I 
shall  probably  have  no  opportunity  of  writing  until 
we  reach  Puebla. 


Puebla,  24th. 

Yesterday  morning  we  took  leave  of  the  Jahpenos, 
and  once  more  found  ourselves  en  route.  Such  a 
view  of  the  mountains  as  we  ascended  the  steep 
road  !  and  such  flowers  and  blossoming  trees  on  all 
sides  !  Large  scarlet  blossoms,  and  hanging  purple 
and  white  flowers,  and  trees  covered  with  fragrant 
bell-shaped  flowers  like  lilies,  which  the  people  here 
call  the  floripundio,  together  with  a  profusion  of 
double  pink  roses  that  made  the  air  fragrant  as  we 
passed.  And  here  and  there  a  church,  a  ruined 
convent  or  a  white  Hacienda.  We  had  the  advan¬ 
tage  of  clear  weather  not  always  to  be  found  at 
Jalapa,  especially  when  the  north  wind,  blowing  at 
Vera  Cruz,  covers  this  city  and  its  environs  with  a 
dense  foar. 

O 


CHANGE  OF  SCENERY. 


59 


We  stopped  at  a  small  village  to  change  horses, 
(for  on  leaving  Jalapa,  our  mules  were  exchanged 
for  eight  strong  white  horses,)  and  here  Don  Miguel 
made  us  enter  a  very  pretty  house  belonging  to  some 
female  friends  of  his,  one  of  whom  was  very  hand¬ 
some,  with  a  tasteful  white  turban.  The  curiosity  of 
this  place  is  a  rock  behind  the  house,  covered  with 
roses,  clove-carnations,  and  every  variety  of  bright 
flower-tree,  together  with  oranges,  lemons,  limes,  and 
cedrats,  all  growing  out  of  the  rock.  The  ladies 
were  very  civil,  though  I  dare  say  surprised  at  our 
admiration  of  their  December  flowers,  and  gave  us 
orangeade  and  cake,  with  large  cedrats  and  oranges 
from  the  trees ;  but  above  all,  the  most  delicious  bou¬ 
quet  of  roses  and  carnations ;  so  that,  together  with 
the  unknown  scarlet  and  purple  blossoms  which  the 
captain  of  the  escort  had  gathered  for  me,  the  dili¬ 
gence  inside  looked  like  an  arbor. 

We  continued  our  journey,  the  road  ascending  to¬ 
wards  the  table-land,  and  at  one  striking  point  of 
view,  we  got  out  and  looked  back  upon  Jalapa,  and 
round  upon  a  panorama  of  mountains.  Gradually 
the  vegetation  changed.  Fine,  fresh-looking  Euro¬ 
pean  herbage  and  trees  succeeded  the  less  hardy 
though  more  brilliant  trees  and  flowers  of  the  tropics. 
The  banana  and  chirimoya  gave  place  to  the  strong 
oak,  and  higher  still,  these  were  interspersed  with  the 
dark  green  of  the  pine. 

At  San  Miguel  de  los  Soldados  we  stopped  to  take 
some  refreshment.  The  country  became  gradually 
more  bleak,  and  before  arriving  at  the  village  of  Las 
Vigas,  nearly  all  trees  had  disappeared  but  the  hardy 


60 


PEROTE. 


fir,  which  flourishes  amongst  the  rocks.  The  ground 
for  about  two  leagues  was  covered  with  lava,  and 
great  masses  of  black  calcined  rock,  so  that  we 
seemed  to  be  passing  over  the  crater  of  a  volcano. 
This  part  of  the  country  is  deservedly  called  the  Mai 
Pais,  and  the  occasional  crosses  with  their  faded  gar¬ 
lands,  that  gleam  in  these  bleak,  volcanic  regions, 
give  token  that  it  may  have  yet  other  titles  to  the 
name  of  “  the  Evil  Land.”  The  roses  and  carna¬ 
tions  that  I  had  brought  from  Jalapa  were  still  un¬ 
withered,  so  that  in  a  few  hours  we  had  passed 
through  the  whole  scale  of  vegetation. 

The  road  became  steep  and  dreary,  and  after  pass¬ 
ing  Cruz  Blanca,  excepting  occasional  corn-fields 
and  sombre  pine  forests,  the  scene  had  no  objects  of 
interest  sufficient  to  enable  us  to  keep  our  eyes  open. 
The  sun  was  set  —  it  grew  dusk,  and  by  the  time 
we  reached  Perote,  where  we  were  to  pass  the  night, 
most  of  us  had  fallen  into  an  uncomfortable  sleep, 
very  cold  and  quite  stupefied,  and  too  sleepy  to  be 
hungry,  in  spite  of  finding  a  large  supper  prepared 
for  us. 

The  inn  was  dirty,  very  unlike  that  at  Jalapa,  the 
beds  miserable,  and  we  were  quite  ready  to  get  up  by 
the  light  of  an  unhappy  specimen  of  tallow  which 
the  landlord  brought  to  our  doors  at  two  in  the  morn¬ 
ing. 

There  are  some  scenes  which  can  never  be  effaced 
from  our  memory,  and  such  a  one  was  that  which 
took  place  this  morning  at  Perote  at  two  o’clock,  the 
moon  and  the  stars  shining  bright  and  cold. 

Being  dressed,  I  went  into  the  kitchen,  where 


A  DILEMMA. 


61 


C - n,  the  officers  of  the  Jason,  Don  Miguel,  and 

the  Mexican  captain  of  the  last  night’s  escort  were 
assembled  by  the  light  of  one  melancholy  sloping 
candle,  together  with  a  suspicious-looking  landlord, 
and  a  few  sleepy  Indian  women  with  bare  feet,  tan¬ 
gled  hair,  copper  faces  and  rebosos.  They  made  us 
some  chocolate  with  goat’s  milk,  horrid  in  general, 
and  rancid  in  particular. 

It  appeared  that  all  parties  were  at  a  stand-still,  for 
by  some  mistake  in  the  orders,  the  new  escort  had 
not  arrived,  and  the  escort  of  the  preceding  night 
could  go  no  further.  Don  Miguel,  with  his  swarthy 
face  and  great  sarape,  was  stalking  about,  rather  out 
of  humor,  while  the  captain  was  regretting,  in  very  po¬ 
lite  tones,  with  his  calm,  Arab-looking,  impassive  face, 
that  his  escort  could  proceed  no  further.  He  seemed 
to  think  it  extremely  probable  that  we  should  be 
robbed,  believed,  indeed  had  just  heard  it  asserted, 
that  a  party  of  ladrones  were  looking  out  for  el  Senor 
Ministro,  regretted  that  he  could  not  assist  us,  though 
quite  at  our  service,  and  recommended  us  to  wait 
until  the  next  escort  should  arrive. 

To  this  advice  our  conductor  would  by  no  means 
listen.  He  was  piqued  that  any  detention  should 
occur,  and  yet  aware  that  it  was  unsafe  to  go  on. 
He  had  promised  to  convey  us  safely,  and  in  four 
days  to  Mexico,  and  it  was  necessary  to  keep  his 
word.  Some  one  proposed  that  two  of  the  men 
should  accompany  the  diligence  upon  mules,  as 
probably  a  couple  of  these  animals  might  be  procured. 
The  captain  observed,  that  though  entirely  at  our 
disposal,  two  men  could  be  of  no  manner  of  use,  as 

6 


VOL,  I. 


62 


THE  DILIGENCE. 


in  case  of  attack,  resistance,  except  with  a  large 
escort,  was  worse  than  useless.  Nevertheless  it  was 
remarked  by  some  ingenious  person,  that  the  robbers 
seeing  two,  might  imagine  that  there  were  more 
behind.  In  short  there  w'ere  various  opinions.  One 
proposed  that  they  should  go  on  the  coach,  another 
that  they  should  go  in  it.  Here  I  ventured  to  inter¬ 
pose,  begging  that  they  might  ride  on  mules  or  go 
outside,  but  by  no  means  within.  As  usual,  it  was 
as  the  Sehora  pleased. 

At  length  we  all  collected  before  the  door  of  the 
inn,  and  a  queer  group  we  must  have  made  by  the 
light  of  the  moon,  and  a  nice  caricature  I  thought  to 

myself,  our  friend  Mr.  G - would  have  made  of 

us,  had  he  been  there. 

The  diligence,  with  eight  white  horses  and  a 
Yankee  coachman,  originally  no  doubt  called  Brown, 
but  now  answering  to  the  mellifluous  appellation  of 

Bruno  ;  A - ,  with  her  French  cap,  and  loaded 

with  sundry  mysterious-looking  baskets  ;  I,  with 

cloak  and  bonnet ;  C - n  with  Greek  cap,  cloak 

and  cigar  ;  the  captain  of  the  Jason  also  with  cloak 
and  cigar,  and  very  cold  ;  the  lieutenant  in  his  navy 
uniform,  taking  it  coolly  ;  Don  Miguel,  with  his 
great  sarape  and  silver  hat — (six  people  belonging 
to  five  different  countries)  ;  the  Mexican  captain, 
with  his  pale  impassive  face  and  moustaches,  envel¬ 
oped  in  a  very  handsome  sarape,  and  surrounded  by 
the  sleepy  escort  of  the  preceding  night ;  dirty-look- 
ing  soldiers  lounging  on  the  ground,  wrapped  in  their 
blankets  ;  the  Indian  women  and  the  host  of  the 
inn,  and  a  bright  moon  and  starry  sky  lighting  up 


SERIOUS  DISPUTES. 


63 


the  whole  —  the  figures  in  the  foreground,  and  the 
lofty  snow-clad  mountains,  and  the  dismal  old  town 
of  Perote  itself,  that  looked  gray  and  sulky  at  being 
disturbed  so  early,  with  its  old  castle  of  San  Carlos 
and  cold,  sterile  plains. 

Meanwhile,  two  soldiers  with  cloaks  and  arms, 
had  climbed  up  outside  of  the  coach.  The  captain 
remarked  that  they  could  not  sit  there.  Bruno  made 
some  reply,  upon  which  the  captain  very  coolly  drew 
his  sword,  and  was  about  to  put  a  very  decided 
impediment  to  our  journey  by  stabbing  the  coach¬ 
man,  when  Don  Miguel,  his  eyes  and  cigar  all  shin¬ 
ing  angrily,  rushed  in  between  them. 

High  words  ensued  between  him  and  the  captain, 
and  the  extreme  coolness  and  precision  with  which 
the  latter  spoke,  was  very  amusing.  It  was  as  if  he 
were  rehearsing  a  speech  from  a  play.  “  I  always 
speak  frankly,”  said  Don  Miguel,  in  an  angry  tone. 
“  And  I,”  said  the  captain,  in  a  polite,  measured 
voice,  “  am  also  accustomed  to  speak  my  mind  with 
extreme  frankness.  I  regret,  however,  that  I  did  not 
at  the  moment  perceive  the  Sehora  at  the  door, 
otherwise,”  &c. 

At  length  the  two  little  men,  who  with  their  arms 
and  sarapes  looked  like  bundles  of  ammunition,  and 
who  half  asleep  had  been  by  some  zealous  person, 
probably  by  our  friend  Bruno,  tumbled  upon  the 
diligence  like  packages,  were  now  rolled  off  it,  and 
finally  tumbled  upon  mules,  and  we  got  into  the 
coach.  Don  Miguel,  with  his  head  out  of  the  win¬ 
dow,  and  not  very  easy  in  his  mind,  called  up  the 
two  bundles  and  gave  them  directions  as  to  their 


64 


TEPEYAGUALCO. 


line  of  conduct  in  a  stage  whisper,  and  they  trotted 
oft’,  primed  with  valor,  while  we  very  cold  and  (I 
answer  for  myself)  rather  frightened,  proceeded  on 
our  way.  The  earliness  of  the  hour  was  probably 
our  salvation,  as  we  started  two  hours  before  the 
usual  time,  and  thus  gained  a  march  upon  the  gen¬ 
tlemen  of  the  road. 

VVe  were  not  sorry,  however,  when,  at  our  first 
halting-place,  and  whilst  we  were  changing  horses, 
we  descried  a  company  of  lancers  at  full  gallop,  with 
a  very  good-looking  officer  at  their  head,  coming 
along  the  road,  though  when  I  first  heard  the  sound 
of  horses’  hoofs  clattering  along,  and  by  the  faint  light, 
discerned  the  horsemen,  enveloped  as  they  were  in  a 
cloud  of  dust,  I  felt  sure  that  they  were  a  party  of 
robbers.  The  captain  made  many  apologies  for  the 
delay,  and  proceeded  to  inform  us  that  the  alcaldes 
of  Tepeyagualco,  La  Ventilla,  and  of  some  other  vil¬ 
lages,  whose  names  I  forget,  had  for  twenty  days 
prepared  a  breakfast  in  expectation  of  his  Excellen¬ 
cy’s  arrival;  —  whether  twenty  breakfasts,  or  the 
same  one  cold,  or  rechauffe,  we  may  never  know. 

The  captain  had  a  very  handsome  horse,  which 
he  caused  to  caracolcar  by  the  side  of  the  diligence, 
and  put  at  my  disposal  with  a  low  bow,  every  time  I 
looked  at  it.  He  discoursed  with  C - n  of  rob¬ 

bers  and  wars,  and  of  the  different  sites  which  these 
gentry  most  affected,  and  told  him  how  his  first  wife 
had  been  shot  by  following  him  in  some  engage¬ 
ment,  yet  how  his  second  wife  invariably  followed  him 
also. 

Arrived  at  Tepeyagualco,  after  having  passed  over 


LA  VENTILLA. 


65 


a  succession  of  sterile  plains  covered  with  scanty 
pasture,  an  alcalde  advanced  to  meet  the  diligence, 

and  hospitably  made  C - n  an  offer  of  the  before- 

mentioned  twenty  days’  entertainment,  which  he  with 
many  thanks  declined.  Who  ate  that  breakfast,  is 
buried  in  the  past.  Whether  the  alcalde  was  glad 
or  sorry,  did  not  appear.  He  vanished  with  a  pro¬ 
fusion  of  bows,  and  was  followed  by  a  large,  good- 
looking  Indian  woman,  who  stood  behind  him  while 
he  made  his  discourse.  Perhaps  they  eat  together 
the  long-prepared  feast ;  which  was  at  least  one  of 
the  many  tributes  paid  to  the  arrival  of  the  first  mes¬ 
senger  of  peace  from  the  mother  country. 

At  La  Ventilla,  however,  we  descended  with  a 
good  appetite,  and  found  several  authorities  waiting 
to  give  C - n  a  welcome.  Here  they  gave  us  de¬ 

licious  chirimoyas,  a  natural  custard,  which  we  liked 
even  upon  a  first  trial,  also  granaditas,  bananas,  sa- 
potes,  &c.  Here  also  I  first  tasted  pulque ;  and  on 
a  first  impression  it  appears  to  me,  that  as  nectar 
was  the  drink  in  Olympus,  we  may  fairly  conjecture 
that  Pluto  cultivated  the  maguey  in  his  dominions. 
The  taste  and  smell  combined  took  me  so  completely 
by  surprise,  that  I  am  afraid  my  look  of  horror  must 
have  given  mortal  offence  to  the  worthy  alcalde,  who 
considers  it  the  most  delicious  beverage  in  the  world  ; 
and,  in  fact,  it  is  said,  that  when  one  gets  over  the 
first  shock,  it  is  very  agreeable.  The  difficulty  must 
consist  in  getting  over  it. 

After  a  tolerable  breakfast,  hunger  making  chile 
and  garlic  supportable,  we  continued  our  route  ;  and 
were  informed  that  the  robbers,  having  grown  very 

6* 


66 


BRIGA>D-LOOKXS'G  L-OCDLOKD. 


daring,  and  the  next  stage  being  very  dangerous,  our 
escort  was  to  be  doubled.  Since  we  left  Perote.  tlie 
country  had  gradually  become  more  drearv.  and  we 
had  again  got  into  the  •• :  al pais."  where  nothing  is 
to  be  seen  but  a  few  fir  trees  and  pines,  dark  and 
stunted,  black  masses  of  lava,  and  an  occasional, 
white  cross  to  mark  either  where  a  murder  has  been 
committed,  or  where  a  celebrated  robber  has  been 
buried.  Of  each.  Don  Miguel  gave  us  a  succinct 
account.  Some  lines  of  Childe  Harold  suit  this 
scene  as  if  written  for  it : 

”  Arihere  and  there,  as  up  the  crags  you  spring, 

Mark  many  rude-carved  crrsses  near  the  path  : 

Tet  deem  not  these  devotion’s  offering  — 

These  are  memorials  frail  of  murderous  ■wrath, 

F  or  wheresoe'er  the  shrieking  victim  hath 

Pcur'd  ibrth  his  bloc  i  beneath  the  assassin's  knife 
Seme  hand  erects  a  errss  of  mruldering  lath  : 

And  grove  and  glen  with  thousand  such  are  rife, 
Throughout  this  purple  land,  where  law  secures  not  life." 

The  whole  scene  was  wild  and  grand,  yet  dreary  and 
monotonous,  presenting  the  greatest  contrast  possible 
to  our  first  day’s  journey.  The  only  signs  of  life  to 
be  met  with,  were  the  long  string  of  arrieros  with 
their  droves  of  mules,  and  an  occasional  Indian 
hut.  with  a  few  miserable  half-naked  women  and 
children. 

At  one  small,  wild-looking  inn,  where,  very  cold 
and  miserable,  we  stopped,  some  hot  wine  was 
brought  us.  which  was  very  acceptable.  The  tavern- 
keeper,  for  it  was  no  more  than  a  spirit-shop,  if  not  a 
robber,  had  all  the  appearance  of  one  :  wild,  melan¬ 
choly.  and  with  a  most  sinister  expression  of  counte- 


OJO  DZ  AGUA. 


67 


nance.  Salvator  never  drew  a  more  bandit-looking 
figure,  as  he  stood  there  with  his  blanket  and  slouch¬ 
ed  hat;  and  a  knife  in  his  belt,  tall  and  thin  and  mus¬ 
cular.  with  his  sallow  visage  and  his  sad.  fierce  eyes. 
However,  he  showed  us  the  marks  on  his  door,  where 
a  band  of  twenty  robbers  had  broken  in  one  night, 
and  robbed  some  travellers  who  were  sleeping  there, 
of  a  large  some  of  money. 

C - n  asked  him  how  the  robbers  treated  the 

women  when  they  fell  into  their  power.  ££  Las  sa- 
ludan ,”  said  he,  “  and  sometimes  carry  them  off  to 
the  mountains,  but  rarely,  and  chiefly  when  they  are 
afraid  of  their  giving  information  against  them.'' 

At  Ojo  de  Agua ,  where  we  changed  horses,  we 
saw  the  accommodations  which  those  who  travel  in 
private  coach  or  litera  must  submit  to.  unless  they 
bring  their  own  beds  along  with  them,  and  a  stock  of 
provisions  besides  — -  a  common  room  like  a  barn, 
where  all  must  herd  together :  and  neither  chair,  nor 
table,  nor  food  to  be  had.  It  was  a  solitary-looking 
house,  standing  lonely  on  the  plain,  with  a  few  strag¬ 
gling  sheep  nibbling  the  brown  grass  in  the  vicinity. 
A  fine  spring  of  water,  from  which  it  takes  its  name, 
and  Orizava,  which  seems  to  have  travelled  forward, 
and  stands  in  bold  outline  against  the  sapphire  sky, 
were  all  that  we  saw  there  worthy  of  notice. 

We  changed  horses  at  Xopaluca,  Acagete  and 
Amosoque,  all  small  villages,  with  httle  more  than 
the  posada,  and  a  few  poor  houses,  and  all  very  dirty. 
The  country,  however,  improves  in  cultivation  and 
fertility,  though  the  chief  trees  are  the  sombre  pines. 
Still  accompanied  by  our  two  escorts,  which  had  a 


68 


PUEBLA. 


very  grandiloquent  effect,  we  entered,  by  four  o’clock, 
Puebla  de  los  Angeles,  the  second  city  to  Mexico, 
(after  Guadalajara)  in  the  Republic,  where  we  found 
very  fine  apartments  prepared  for  us  in  the  inn,  and 
where,  after  a  short  rest  and  a  fresh  toilette,  we  went 
out  to  see  what  we  could  of  the  city  before  it  grew 
dusk,  before  it  actually  became  what  it  now  is, 
Christmas  Eve  ! 

It  certainly  does  require  some  time  for  the  eye  to 
become  accustomed  to  the  style  of  building  adopted 
in  the  Spanish  colonies.  There  is  something  at  first 
sight  exceedingly  desolate-looking  in  these  great 
wooden  doors,  like  those  of  immense  barns,  the  great 
iron-barred  windows,  the  ill-paved  court-yards,  even 
the  flat  roofs ;  and  then  the  streets,  where,  though 
this  is  a  fete-day,  we  see  nothing  but  groups  of  peas¬ 
ants  or  of  beggars  —  the  whole  gives  the  idea  of  a 
total  absence  of  comfort.  Yet  the  streets  of  Puebla 
are  clean  and  regular,  the  houses  large,  the  cathedral 
magnificent,  and  the  plaza  spacious  and  handsome. 

The  cathedral  was  shut,' and  is  not  to  be  opened 
till  midnight  mass,  which  I  regret  the  less  as  we  must 
probably  return  here  some  day. 

The  dress  of  the  Poblana  peasants  is  pretty,  es¬ 
pecially  upon  fete-days.  A  white  muslin  chemise, 
trimmed  with  lace  round  the  skirt,  neck  and  sleeves, 
which  are  plaited  neatly  ;  a  petticoat  shorter  than  the 
chemise,  and  divided  in  two  colors,  the  lower  part 
made  generally  of  a  scarlet  and  black  stuff,  a  manu¬ 
facture  of  the  country,  and  the  upper  part  of  yellow 
satin,  with  a  satin  vest  of  some  bright  color,  and  cov¬ 
ered  with  gold  or  silver,  open  in  front,  and  turned 


CHRISTMAS  EVE. 


69 


back.  This  vest  may  be  worn  or  omitted,  as  suits  the 
taste  of  the  wearer.  It  is  without  sleeves  but  has 
straps  ;  the  hair  plaited  in  two  behind,  and  the  plaits 
turned  up,  and  fastened  together  by  a  diamond 
ring ;  long  ear-rings,  and  all  sorts  of  chains  and 
medals,  and  tinkling  things  worn  round  the  neck.  A 
long,  broad,  colored  sash,  something  like  an  officer’s 
belt,  tied  behind  after  going  twice  or  thrice  round  the 
waist,  into  which  is  stuck  a  silver  cigar-case.  A 
small  colored  handkerchief  like  a  broad  ribbon,  cross¬ 
ing  over  the  neck,  is  fastened  in  front  with  a  brooch, 
the  ends  trimmed  with  silver,  and  going  through  the 
sash.  Over  all  is  thrown  a  reboso,  not  over  the  head, 
but  thrown  on  like  a  scarf;  and  they  wear  silk  stock¬ 
ings,  or  more  commonly  no  stockings,  and  white  satin 
shoes  trimmed  with  silver. 

This  is  on  holidays.  On  common  occasions,  the 
dress  is  the  same,  but  the  materials  are  more  com¬ 
mon,  at  least  the  vest  with  silver  is  never  worn  ;  but 
the  chemise  is  still  trimmed  with  lace,  and  the  shoes 
are  satin.  .  .  . 

Christmas  Eve  in  Puebla !  The  room  is  filled 

with  visiters,  who  have  come  to  congratulate  C - n 

on  his  arrival,  and  a  wonderfully  handsome  room  it 
is,  to  do  it  justice,  with  chairs  and  sofas  of  scarlet 
stuff.  But  I  was  anxious  to  see  something.  As  we 
are  to  leave  Puebla  very  early,  I  am  prohibited  from 
going  to  midnight  mass.  I  proposed  the  theatre, 
where  there  is  to  be  a  Nacimiento,  a  representation 
in  figures  of  various  events  connected  with  the  Birth 
of  Christ;  such  as  the  Annunciation,  the  Holy  Fam¬ 
ily,  the  Arrival  of  the  Wise  Men  of  the  East,  &c. 


70 


CHRISTMAS  DAY. 


But  after  some  deliberation,  it  was  agreed  that  this 
would  not  do ;  so  finding  that  there  is  nothing  to  be 
done,  and  tired  of  polite  conversation,  I  betake  my¬ 
self  to  bed. 

Christmas  Day. 

It  is  now  about  three  o’clock,  but  I  was  awak¬ 
ened  an  hour  ago  by  the  sounds  of  the  hymns  which 
ushered  in  Christmas  morning  ;  and  looking  from  the 
window,  saw  by  the  faint  light,  bands  of  girls  dressed 
in  white,  singing  in  chorus  through  the  streets. 

We  have  just  taken  chocolate,  and,  amidst  a  pro¬ 
fusion  of  bows  and  civilities  from  the  landlord,  are 
preparing  to  set  oft'  for  Mexico. 


LETTER  THE  SIXTH. 


Departure  from  Puebla  —  Cliirimoyas  —  Rio  F rio  —  Indian  Game 
—  Black  F orest  —  V alley  of  Mexico  —  Recollections  of  T enoch- 
titlan  —  Mexican  Officer  —  Reception  —  Scenery  —  Variety  of 
Dresses  —  Cheers  —  Storm  of  Rain  —  Entry  to  Mexico  —  Buen- 
avista  —  House  by  day-light  —  Sights  from  the  windows  — 

Visits  —  Mexican  Etiquette  —  Countess  C - a  —  Flowers  in 

December  —  Serenade  —  Patriotic  Hymn. 

Mexico,  2Gth  December. 

We  left  Puebla  between  four  and  five  in  the  morn¬ 
ing,  as  we  purposely  made  some  delay,  not  wishing 
to  reach  Mexico  too  early,  and  in  so  doing,  acted 
contrary  to  the  advice  of  Don  Miguel,  who  was  gene¬ 
rally  right  in  these  matters.  The  day  was  very  fine 
when  we  set  off,  though  rain  was  predicted.  Some 
of  the  gentlemen  had  gone  to  the  theatre  the  night 
before,  to  see  the  Nacimiento,  and  the  audience  had 
been  composed  entirely  of  Gentuza,  the  common 
people,  who  were  drinking  brandy,  and  smoking ;  so  it 
was  fortunate  that  we  had  not  shown  our  faces  there. 

The  country  was  now  flat,  but  fertile,  and  had  on 
the  whole  more  of  a  European  look  than  any  we  had 
yet  passed  through. 

At  Rio  Prieto,  a  small  village  where  we  changed 
horses,  I  found  that  I  had  been  sitting  very  com- 


72 


THE  BLACK  FOREST. 


fortably  with  my  feet  in  a  basket  of  chirimoyas,  and 
that  my  brodequins,  white  gown,  and  cloak,  had 
been  all  drenched  with  the  milky  juice,  and  then 
made  black  by  the  floor  of  the  diligence. 

With  no  small  difficulty  a  trunk  was  brought 
down,  and  another  dress  procured,  to  the  great 
amusement  of  the  Indian  women,  who  begged  to 
know  if  my  gown  was  the  last  fashion,  and  said  it 
was  “  muy  guapaf  very  pretty.  Here  we  found  good 
hot  coffee,  and  it  being  Christmas  day,  everyone  was 
clean  and  dressed  for  mass. 

At  Rio  Frio,  which  is  about  thirteen  leagues  from 
Mexico,  and  where  there  is  a  pretty  good  posada  in 
a  valley  surrounded  by  woods,  we  stopped  to  dine. 
The  inn  is  kept  by  a  Bordelaise  and  her  husband, 
who  wish  themselves  in  Bordeaux  twenty  times  a 
day.  In  front  of  the  house,  some  Indians  were  play¬ 
ing  at  a  curious  and  very  ancient  game  —  a  sort  of 
swing,  resembling  “  El  Juego  cle  los  Voladorcs 
“  The  game  of  the  Flyers,”  much  in  vogue  amongst 
the  ancient  Mexicans.  Our  French  hostess  gave  us 
a  good  dinner,  especially  excellent  potatoes,  and 
jelly  of  various  sorts,  regaling  us  with  plenty  of  sto¬ 
ries  of  robbers  and  robberies  and  horrid  murders  all 
the  while. 

On  leaving  Rio  Frio,  the  road  became  more  hilly 
and  covered  with  woods,  and  we  shortly  entered  the 
tract  known  by  the  name  of  the  Black  Forest,  a  great 
haunt  for  banditti,  and  a  beautiful  specimen  of  forest 
scenery,  a  succession  of  lofty  oaks,  pines  and  cedars, 
with  wild  flowers  lighting  up  their  gloomy  green. 
But  I  confess,  that  the  impatience  which  I  felt  to  see 


VALLEY  OF  MEXICO. 


73 


Mexico,  the  idea  that  in  a  few  hours  we  should  ac¬ 
tually  be  there,  prevented  me  from  enjoying  the 
beauty  of  the  scenery,  and  made  the  road  appear 
interminable. 

But  at  length  we  arrived  at  the  heights  looking 
down  upon  the  great  valley,  celebrated  in  all  parts  of 
the  world,  with  its  frame-work  of  everlasting  moun¬ 
tains,  its  snow-crowned  volcanoes,  great  lakes,  and 
fertile  plains,  all  surrounding  the  favored  city  of 
Montezuma,  the  proudest  boast  of  his  conqueror,  once 
of  Spain’s  many  diadems  the  brightest.  But  the 
day  had  overcast,  nor  is  this  the  most  favorable  road 
for  entering  Mexico.  The  innumerable  spires  of  the 
distant  city  were  faintly  seen.  The  volcanoes  were 
enveloped  in  clouds,  all  but  their  snowy  summits, 
which  seemed  like  marble  domes  towering  into  the 
sky.  But  as  we  strained  our  eyes  to  look  into  the 
valley,  it  all  appeared  to  me  rather  like  a  vision  of 
the  Past,  than  the  actual,  breathing  Present.  The 
curtain  of  Time  seemed  to  roll  back,  and  to  discover 
to  us  the  great  panorama  that  burst  upon  the  eye  of 
Cortes  when  he  first  looked  down  upon  the  table¬ 
land  ;  the  king-loving,  Cod-fearing  conqueror,  his 
loyalty  and  religion  so  blended  after  the  fashion  of 
ancient  Spain,  that  it  were  hard  to  say  which  senti¬ 
ment  exercised  over  him  the  greater  sway.  The 
city  of  Tenochtitlan,  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  five 
great  lakes,  upon  verdant  and  flower-covered  islands, 
a  western  Venice,  with  thousands  of  boats  gliding 
swiftly  along  its  streets,  long  lines  of  low  houses, 
diversified  by  the  multitudes  of  pyramidal  temples, 
the  Teocalli,  or  houses  of  God— —  q^inoes  covering 

VOL.  I.  7 


74 


THE  ANCIENT  TENOCHTITLAN. 


the  mirrored  lakes  —  the  lofty  trees,  the  flowers,  and 
the  profusion  of  water  now  wanting  to  the  land¬ 
scape —  the  whole  fertile  valley  enclosed  by  its  eter¬ 
nal  hills  and  snow-crowned  volcanoes  —  what  scenes 
of  wonder  and  of  beauty,  to  burst  upon  the  eyes  of 
these  wayfaring  men ! 

Then  the  beautiful  gardens  surrounding  the  city, 
the  profusion  of  flowers,  and  fruit,  and  birds  —  the 
mild  bronze-colored  Emperor  himself,  advancing  in 
the  midst  of  his  Indian  nobility,  with  rich  dress  and 
unshod  feet,  to  receive  his  unbidden  and  unwelcome 
guest  —  the  slaves  and  the  gold  and  the  rich  plumes, 
all  to  be  laid  at  the  feet  of  “  His  most  sacred  Majes¬ 
ty  ”  — what  pictures  are  called  up  by  the  recollection 
of  the  simple  narrative  of  Cortes,  and  how  forcibly 
they  return  to  the  mind,  now,  when  after  a  lapse  of 
three  centuries,  we  behold  for  the  first  time,  the  city 
of  palaces  raised  upon  the  ruins  of  the  Indian  Capi¬ 
tal  !  It  seemed  scarcely  possible  that  we  were 
indeed  so  near  the  conclusion  of  our  journey,  and  in 
the  midst  of  so  different  a  scene,  only  two  months 
minus  two  days  since  leaving  New  York  and  stepping 
on  board  the  Norma.  How  much  land  and  sea  we 
had  passed  over  since  then  !  How  much  we  had 
seen  !  How  many  different  climates,  even  in  the 
space  of  the  last  four  days  ! 

But  my  thoughts  which  had  wandered  three  cen¬ 
turies  into  the  past,  were  soon  recalled  to  the  present, 
by  the  arrival  of  an  officer  in  full  uniform,  at  the 
head  of  his  troop,  who  came  out  by  order  of  the 
government,  to  welcome  the  bearer  of  the  olive 
branch  from  ancient  Spain,  and  had  been  on  horse- 


RECEPTION. 


75 


back  since  the  day  before,  expecting  our  arrival. 
As  it  had  begun  to  rain,  the  officer,  Colonel  Miguel 
Andrade,  accepted  our  offer  of  taking  shelter  in  the 
diligence.  We  had  now  a  great  troop  galloping 
along  with  us,  and  had  not  gone  far,  before  we  per¬ 
ceived  that  in  spite  of  the  rain,  and  that  it  already 
began  to  grow  dusk,  there  were  innumerable  carriages 
and  horsemen  forming  an  immense  crowd,  all  coming 
out  to  welcome  us.  Shortly  after,  the  diligence  was 
stopped,  and  we  were  requested  to  get  into  a  very 
splendid  carriage,  all  crimson  and  gold,  with  the 
arms  of  the  republic,  the  eagle  and  nopal,  embroid¬ 
ered  in  gold  on  the  roof  inside,  and  drawn  by  four 
handsome  white  horses.  In  the  midst  of  this  im¬ 
mense  procession  of  troops,  carriages  and  horsemen, 
we  made  our  entry  into  the  city  of  Montezuma. 

The  scenery  on  this  side  of  Mexico  is  arid  and 
flat,  and  where  the  waters  of  the  Lagunas,  covered 
with  their  gay  canoes,  once  surrounded  the  city, 
forming  canals  through  its  streets,  we  now  see  mel¬ 
ancholy  marshy  lands,  little  enlivened  by  great  flights 
of  wild  duck  and  water  fowl.  But  the  bleakness  of 
the  natural  scenery  was  concealed  by  the  gay  appear¬ 
ance  of  the  procession  —  the  scarlet  and  gold  uni¬ 
forms,  the  bright-colored  sarapes,  the  dresses  of  the 
gentlemen,  (most  I  believe  Spaniards)  with  their 
handsome  horses,  high  Mexican  saddles,  gold  embroi¬ 
dered  anquercts  generally  of  black  fur,  their  Mexican 
hats  ornamented  with  gold,  richly-furred  jackets, 
pantaloons  with  hanging  silver  buttons,  stamped- 
leather  boots,  silver  stirrups  and  graceful  mangas 
with  black  or  colored  velvet  capes. 


76 


ENTRY  INTO  MEXICO. 


At  the  gates  of  Mexico,  the  troops  halted,  and 
three  enthusiastic  cheers  were  given  as  the  carriage 
entered.  It  was  now  nearly  dusk,  and  the  rain  was 
falling  in  torrents,  yet  we  met  more  carriages  full  of 
ladies  and  gentlemen  which  joined  the  others.  We 
found  that  a  house  in  the  suburbs,  at  Buenavista,  had 
been  taken  for  us  provisoirement  by  the  kindness  of 
the  Spaniards,  especially  of  a  rich  merchant  who 

accompanied  us  in  the  carriage,  Don  M - 1  M - z 

del  C - o  ;  consequently  we  passed  all  through 

Mexico  before  reaching  our  destination,  always  in 
the  midst  of  the  crowd,  on  account  of  which  and  of 
the  ill-paved  streets,  we  went  very  slowly.  Through 
the  rain  and  the  darkness,  we  got  an  occasional  faint 
lamp-light  glimpse  of  high  buildings,  churches  and 
convents.  Arrived  at  length,  in  the  midst  of  torrents 

of  rain,  C - n  got  out  of  the  carriage,  and  returned 

thanks  for  his  reception,  giving  some  ounces  to  the 
sergeant  for  the  soldiers.  We  then  entered  the 
house,  accompanied  by  the  Mexican  officer,  and  by 
a  large  party  of  Spaniards. 

We  found  the  house  very  good,  especially  consid¬ 
ering  that  it  had  been  furnished  for  us  in  eight-and- 
forty  hours,  and  we  also  found  an  excellent  supper 
smoking  on  the  table,  after  doing  justice  to  which, 
we  took  leave  of  our  friends,  and  very  tired,  prepared 
for  sleep. 

The  servants  and  luggage  arrived  late.  They  had 
been  left  with  the  diligence,  under  the  guardianship 
of  Don  Miguel,  and  it  appeared  that  the  robbers  had 
mingled  with  the  crowd,  and  followed  in  hopes  of 
plunder,  insomuch  that  he  had  been  obliged  to  pro- 


HOUSE  BY  DAY-LIGHT. 


77 


cure  two  carriages,  one  for  the  servants,  while  into 
another  he  put  the  luggage,  mounting  in  front  himself 
to  look  out.  Tired  enough  the  poor  man  was,  and 
drenched  with  rain,  and  we  found  that  much  of  this 
confusion  and  difficulty,  which  was  chiefly  caused  by 
the  storm  and  darkness,  would  have  been  avoided  had 
we  left  Puebla  some  hours  sooner. 

However,  “  All ’s  well  that  ends  well.”  I  thought 
of  Christmas  in  “  Merrie  England,”  and  of  our  family 
gatherings  in  the  olden  time,  and  as  if  one  had  not 
travelled  enough  in  the  body,  began  travelling  in  the 
mind,  away  to  far  different,  and  distant,  and  long 
gone-by  scenes,  fell  asleep  at  length  with  my  thoughts 
in  Scotland,  and  wakened  in  Mexico  ! 

By  day-light  we  find  our  house  very  pretty,  with  a 
large  garden  adjoining,  full  of  flowers,  and  rosebushes 
in  the  court-yard,  but  being  all  on  the  ground-floor, 
it  is  somewhat  damp,  and  the  weather,  though  beau¬ 
tiful,  is  so  cool  in  the  morning,  that  carpets,  and  I 
sometimes  think  even  a  soupcon  of  fire,  would  not  be 
amiss.  The  former  we  shall  soon  procure,  but  there 
are  neither  chimneys  nor  grates,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
a  fire  would  be  disagreeable  for  more  than  an  hour  or 
so  in  the  morning.  The  house  stands  alone,  with  a 
large  court  before  it,  and  opposite  to  it  passes  the 
great  stone  aqueduct,  a  magnificent  work  of  the 
Spaniards,  though  not  more  so,  probably,  than  those 
which  supplied  the  ancient  Tenochtitlan  with  water. 
Behind  it,  we  see  nothing  but  several  old  houses,  with 
trees,  so  that  we  seem  almost  in  the  country.  To  the 
right  is  one  large  building,  with  garden  and  olive- 
ground,  where  the  English  legation  formerly  lived,  a 


78 


VISITERS. 


palace  in  size,  since  occupied  by  Santa  Anna,  and 
which  now  belongs  to  Sehor  Perez  Galvez  ;  a  house 
which  we  shall  be  glad  to  have,  if  the  proprietor  will 
consent  to  let  it. 

But  what  most  attracts  our  attention,  are  the  curi¬ 
ous  and  picturesque  groups  of  figures  which  we  see 
from  the  windows  —  men  bronze-color,  with  nothing 
but  a  piece  of  blanket  thrown  round  them,  carrying 
lightly  on  their  heads  earthen  basins,  precisely  the 
color  of  their  own  skin,  so  that  they  look  altogether 
like  figures  of  terra  cotta :  these  basins  filled  with 
sweetmeats  or  white  pyramids  of  grease  ( mantequilla ) ; 
women  with  rebosos,  short  petticoats  of  two  colors, 
generally  all  in  rags,  yet  with  a  lace  border  appearing 
on  their  under  garment :  no  stockings,  and  dirty  white 
satin  shoes,  rather  shorter  than  their  small  brown  feet ; 
gentlemen  on  horseback  with  their  Mexican  saddles 
and  sarapes  ;  lounging  Uperos,  moving  bundles  of 
rags,  coming  to  the  windows  and  begging  with  a 
most  piteous  but  false-sounding  whine,  or  lying  under 
the  arches  and  lazily  inhaling  the  air  and  the  sun¬ 
shine,  or  sitting  at  the  door  for  hours  basking  in  the 
sun  or  under  the  shadow  of  the  wall ;  Indian  women, 
with  their  tight  petticoat  of  dark  stuff  and  tangled 
hair,  plaited  with  red  ribbon,  laying  down  their  bas¬ 
kets  to  rest,  and  meanwhile  deliberately  examining 
the  hair  of  their  copper-colored  offspring.  We  have 
enough  to  engage  our  attention  for  the  present. 

Several  visiters  came  early  —  gentlemen,  both 

Spaniards  and  Mexicans.  Sehor  A - z,  decidedly 

the  ugliest  man  I  ever  beheld,  with  a  hump  on  his 
back,  and  a  smile  of  most  portentous  hideosity,  yet  cel- 


ETIQUETTE. 


79 


ebrated  for  his  bonnes  fortunes ;  Senor  de  G - a,  Ex- 

Minister  of  the  Treasury,  extremely  witty  and  agree¬ 
able,  and  with  some  celebrity  as  a  dramatic  writer  ; 

Count  C - a,  formerly  attached  to  the  bed-chamber 

in  Spain,  married  to  a  pretty  Andalusian,  and  entirely 
Mexicanized,  his  heart  where  his  interests  are.  He 
is  very  gentlemanlike  and  distinguished-looking,  with 
good  manners,  and  extremely  eloquent  in  conversa¬ 
tion.  I  hear  him  called  “  inconsecuente ,”  and  capri¬ 
cious,  but  he  has  welcomed  C - n,  who  knew  him 

intimately  in  Madrid,  with  all  the  warmth  of  ancient 
friendship. 

We  are  told  that  a  great  serenade  has  been  for 

some  time  in  contemplation,  to  be  given  to  C - — n, 

the  words,  music  and  performance  by  the  young 
Spaniards  resident  here. 

21th.  —  A  day  or  two  must  elapse  before  I  can 
satisfy  my  curiosity  by  going  out,  while  the  necessary 
arrangements  are  making  concerning  carriage  and 
horses,  or  mules,  servants,  &c. ;  our  vehicles  from 
the  United  States  not  having  yet  arrived,  nor  is  it 
difficult  to  foresee,  even  from  once  passing  through 
the  streets,  that  only  the  more  solid-built  English 
carriages  will  stand  the  wear  and  tear  of  a  Mexican 
life,  and  that  the  comparatively  flimsy  coaches  which 
roll  over  the  well-paved  streets  of  New  York,  will 
not  endure  for  any  length  of  time. 

Meanwhile  we  have  constant  visits,  but  chiefly 
from  gentlemen  and  from  Spaniards,  for  there  is  one 
piece  of  etiquette,  entirely  Mexican,  nor  can  I  im¬ 
agine  from  whence  derived,  by  which  it  is  ordained 
that  all  new  arrivals,  whatever  be  their  rank,  foreign 


80 


VISITS. 


Ministers  not  excepted,  must  in  solemn  print  give 
notice  to  every  family  of  any  consideration  in  the 
capital,  that  they  have  arrived,  and  offer  themselves 
and  their  house  to  their  “disposition;”  failing  in 
which  etiquette,  the  newly-arrived  family  will  remain 
unnoticed  and  unknown.  Our  cards  to  this  effect 
are  consequently  being  printed  under  the  auspices  of 

Count  C - a.  I  have,  however,  received  the  visits 

of  some  ladies  who  have  kindly  waved  this  ceremony 
in  my  favor  ;  and  amongst  others,  from  the  Dowager 

and  the  young  Countesses  of  C - a ;  the  eldest  a  very 

distinguished  woman,  of  great  natural  talent,  one  of 
the  true  ladies  of  the  old  school,  of  whom  not  many 
specimens  now  remain  in  Mexico  ;  the  other,  ex¬ 
tremely  pretty,  lively  and  amiable,  a  true  Andalusian 
both  in  beauty  and  wit.  The  old  Countess  was 
dressed  in  black  velvet,  black  blonde  mantilla,  dia¬ 
mond  ear-rings  and  brooch  —  her  daughter-in-law 
also  in  black,  with  a  mantilla,  and  she  had  a  pretty 
little  daughter  with  her,  whose  eyes  will  certainly 
produce  a  kindling  effect  on  the  next  generation. 

They  were  both  extremely  kind  and  cordial ;  if 
there  are  many  such  persons  in  Mexico,  we  shall 
have  no  reason  to  complain.  I  hope  I  am  not  seeing 
the  cream  before  the  milk  ! 

Some  Mexican  visits  appear  to  me  to  surpass  in 
duration  all  that  one  can  imagine  of  a  visit,  rarely 
lasting  less  than  one  hour,  and  sometimes  extending 
over  a  great  part  of  the  day.  And  gentlemen  at 
least,  arrive  at  no  particular  time.  If  you  are  going 
to  breakfast,  they  go  also  —  if  to  dinner,  the  same  — 
if  you  are  asleep,  they  wait  till  you  awaken  —  if  out, 


VISITS. 


81 


they  call  again.  An  indifferent  sort  of  man,  whose 
name  I  did  not  even  hear,  arrived  yesterday  a  little 
after  breakfast,  sat  still,  and  walked  in  to  a  late  din¬ 
ner  with  us  !  These  should  not  be  called  visits,  but 
visitations,  though  I  trust  they  do  not  often  occur  to 
that  extent.  An  open  house  and  an  open  table  for 
your  friends  —  which  includes  every  passing  ac¬ 
quaintance  ;  these  are  merely  Spanish  habits  of  hos¬ 
pitality  transplanted. 

Had  a  visit  from  Sehor  -  and  his  wife,  very 

civil  and  obliging  people,  always  agreeing  with  each 
other,  and  with  you,  and  with  all  the  world,  almost 
to  the  extent  of  Polonius  to  Hamlet.  Our  conversa¬ 
tion  reminded  me  of  that  the  whole  time  they  were 
here. 

I  have  just  brought  from  the  garden  a  lap-full  of 
pink  roses,  clove  carnations  and  sweet  pease.  Ro¬ 
setta  could  not  sing  here  — 

“  For  June  and  December  will  never  agree.” 

The  weather  is  lovely,  the  air  fresh  and  clear,  the 
sky  one  vast  expanse  of  bright  blue,  without  a  single 
cloud.  Early  this  morning  it  was  cool,  but  now,  by 
ten  o’clock,  the  air  is  as  soft  and  balmy  as  on  a  sum¬ 
mer  day  with  us. 

28th.  —  Day  of  the  memorable  serenade.  After 
dinner,  some  ladies  paid  me  a  visit,  amongst  others 
the  wife  and  daughter  of  the  Spanish  consul,  Sehor 

M - y,  who  were  accompanied  by  the  sister  of 

Count  A - a.  They  and  a  few  gentlemen  arrived 

about  six  o’clock,  and  it  was  said  that  the  serenade 
would  not  begin  till  twelve.  It  may  be  supposed 


82 


SERENADE. 


that  our  conversation,  however  agreeable  it  might  be, 
would  scarcely  hold  out  that  time.  In  fact,  by  nine 
o’clock,  we  were  all  nearly  overcome  by  sleep,  and 
by  ten  I  believe  we  were  already  in  a  refreshing 
slumber,  when  we  were  awakened  by  the  sound  of 
crowds  assembling  before  the  door,  and  of  carriages 
arriving  and  stopping.  Not  knowing  who  the  occu¬ 
pants  might  be,  we  could  not  invite  them  in,  which 
seemed  very  inhospitable,  as  the  night,  though  fine, 
was  cold  and  chilly.  About  eleven  Count  and 

Countess  C - a  arrived,  and  the  Senora  de 

G - a,  a  remarkably  handsome  woman,  a  Span¬ 

iard,  looking  nearly  as  young  as  her  daughters  — 
also  the  pretty  daughters  of  the  proprietress  of 
this  house,  who  was  a  beauty,  and  is  married  to  her 
third  husband,  and  a  lively  little  talkative  person, 

the  Senora  de  L - n,  all  Spanish  ;  and  who,  some 

on  that  account,  and  others  from  their  husbands 

having  been  former  friends  of  C - n’s  have  not 

waited  for  the  ceremony  of  receiving  cards.  Grad¬ 
ually,  however,  several  Mexican  ladies,  whom  we 
had  sent  out  to  invite,  came  in.  Others  remained  in 
their  carriages,  excusing  themselves  on  the  plea  of 
their  not  being  en  toilette.  We  had  men  a  discre¬ 
tion ,  and  the  rooms  were  crowded. 

About  midnight,  arrived  a  troop  of  Mexican  sol¬ 
diers,  carrying  torches,  and  a  multitude  of  musicians, 
both  amateur  and  professional,  chiefly  the  former, 
and  men  carrying  music-stands,  violins,  violoncellos, 
French  horns,  &c.,  together  with  an  immense  crowd, 
mingled  with  numbers  of  leperos,  so  that  the  great 
space  in  front  of  the  house  as  far  as  the  aqueduct, 


SERENADE. 


83 


and  all  beyond  and  along  the  street  as  far  as  we 
could  see,  was  covered  with  people  and  carriages. 
We  threw  open  the  windows,  which  are  on  a  level 
with  the  ground,  with  large  balconies  and  wide  iron 
gratings,  and  the  scene  by  the  torch  light  was  very 
curious.  The  Mexican  troops  holding  lights  for  the 
musicians  ;  and  they  of  various  countries,  Spanish, 
German  and  Mexican  ;  the  leperos  with  their  ragged 
blankets  and  wild  eyes  that  gleamed  in  the  light  of 
the  torches,  the  ladies  within  and  the  crowd  without, 
all  formed  a  very  amusing  spectacle. 

At  length  the  musicians  struck  up  in  full  chorus, 
accompanied  by  the  whole  orchestra.  The  voices 
were  fine,  and  the  instrumental  music  so  good,  I 
could  hardly  believe  that  almost  all  were  amateur 
performers. 

A  hymn,  which  had  been  composed  for  the  occa¬ 
sion,  and  of  which  we  had  received  an  elegantly 
bound  copy  in  the  morning,  was  particularly  effective. 
The  music  was  composed  by  Senor  R.etes,  and  the 
words  by  Senor  Covo,  both  Spaniards.  Various 
Overtures  from  the  last  Operas  were  played,  and  at 
the  end  of  what  seemed  to  be  the  first  act,  in  the 
midst  of  deafening  applause  from  the  crowd,  C — — n 
made  me  return  thanks  from  the  window  in  beautiful 
impromptu  Spanish  !  Then  came  shouts  of  “  Viva 
la  Espana!”  “Viva  Ysabel  Segunda  !  ”  “Viva  el 
Ministro  de  Espana  !  ”  Great  and  continued  cheer¬ 
ing.  Then  C — — n  gave  in  return  “  Viva  la  Repub- 
lica  Mexicana  !  ”  “  Viva  Bustamante  !  ”  and  the 
shouting  was  tremendous.  At  last  an  Andalusian  in 
the  crowd  shouted  out  “  Viva  todo  el  Mundo  !  ” 


84 


PATRIOTIC  HYMN. 


Long  live  every  body ;  which  piece  of  wit  was  fol¬ 
lowed  by  general  laughter. 

After  hot  punch  and  cigars  had  been  handed 
about  out  of  doors,  a  necessary  refreshment  in  this 
cold  night,  the  music  recommenced,  and  the  whole 
ended  with  the  national  hymn  of  Spain,  with  appro¬ 
priate  words.  A  young  Spanish  girl,  whose  voice  is 
celebrated  here,  was  then  entreated  by  those  within, 
and  beseeched  by  those  without,  to  sing  alone  the 

Hymn  composed  in  honor  of  C - n,  which  she 

naturally  felt  some  hesitation  in  doing,  before  such 
an  immense  audience.  However,  she  consented  at 
last,  and  in  a  voice  like  a  clarion,  accompanied  by 
the  orchestra,  sung  each  verse  alone,  joined  in  the 
chorus,  by  the  whole  crowd.  I  give  you  a  copy. 


Himno  Patriotico  que  varios  Espanoles  Residentes  en  Mexico 

Dedican  al  Esmo  Sr.  Don  A - C - de  la  B - ,  Ministro 

Plenipotenciario  de  S.  M.  C.  en  la  Repdblica,  con  Motivo  de  su 
llegada  4  dicha  Capital. 

Musica  del  Sr.  J.  N.  de  Retes  ;  Palabras  del  Sr.  Dn.  Juan 
Covo. 

COEO. 

Triunfamos  Amigos, 

Triunfamos  enfln, 

Y  libre  respira 
La  Patria  del  Ciel. 

La  Augusta  Cristina 
De  Espana  embeleso, 

El  mas  tierno  beso 
Imprime  d  Ysabel : 

Y  reina,  le  dice 
No  la  sobre  esclavos  ; 

Sobre  Iberos  bravos 
Sobre  un  pueblo  fiel. 

Triunfamos  Amigos,  &c. 


PATRIOTIC  HYMN. 


85 


Donde  esta  de  Carlos 
La  perfida  hueste  ? 

Un  rayo  celeste 
Polvo  la  tornd. 

Rayo  que  al  malvado 
Hundio  en  el  abismo 
Rayo  que  al  Carlismo 
Libertad  lanzo. 

Triunfamos  Amigos,  &c. 

Al  bravo  Caudillo 
Al  bueno  al  vaiiente 
Cinamos  la  frente 
De  mirto  y  laurel. 

Tu  diestra  animosa 
Heroico  guerrero 
Tu  diestra,  Espartero 
Sojuzgo  al  infiel. 

Triunfamos  Amigos,  &c. 

Veranse  acatadas 
Nuestras  santas  leyes  ; 
Temblaran  los  Reyes 
De  Esparia  al  poder. 

Y  el  cetro  de  oprobrio 
Si  empuna  un  tirano 
De  su  infame  mano 
Le  haremos  cser. 

Triunfamos  Amigos,  &c. 

Salud  4  Ysabela 
Salud  4  Cristina 
Que  el  cielo  destina 
La  patria  4  salvar. 

Y  el  libre  corone 
La  Candida  frente 
De  aquella  inocente 
Que  juro  amparar. 

Triunfamos  Amigos,  &c. 
8 


VOL. 


I. 


86 


PATRIOTIC  HYMN. 


Y  tu,  Mensagero 
De  paz  y  ventura 
Oye  la  voz  pura 
De  nuestra  lealtad. 

Oye  los  acentos 

Que  al  cielo  elevamos 
Oye  cual  gritamos 
P atria  !  Libertad  ! 

Triunfamos  Amigos,  &c. 

Tu  el  simbolo  digno 

Serds  C - n, 

De  grata  reumion 
De  etema  Amistad 
Que  ya  en  ambos  mundos 
La  insana  discordia 
Trocose  en  concordia 

Y  fraternidad. 

Triunfamos  Amigos,  &c. 


TRANSLATION. 

Patriotic  Hymn  which  various  Spaniards,  resident  in  Mexico, 

Dedicate  to  His  Excellency  Senor  Don  A - C - de  la  B - , 

Minister  Plenipotentiary  and  Envoy  Extraordinary  from  H.  C.  M. 
to  the  Republic,  to  celebrate  his  arrival  in  this  Capital. 

The  music  by  Senor  Don  J.  N.  de  Retes  ;  the  words  by  Senor 
Don  Juan  Covo. 


chorus. 

Let  us  triumph  my  friends, 

Let  us  triumph  at  length, 

And  let  the  country  of  the  Cid 
Breathe  freely  again. 

The  august  Christina 
The  ornament  of  Spain 
Imprinted  the  most  tender  kiss 
On  the  cheek  of  Isabel. 


PATRIOTIC  HYMN. 


And  “  reign,”  slie  said  to  lier, 

“  Not  now  over  slaves, 

But  over  brave  Iberians 
Over  a  faithful  people  !  ” 

Let  us  triumph  my  friends,  &c. 

Where  is  the  perfidious 
Army  of  Carlos  ? 

A  celestial  thunderbolt 
Has  turned  it  to  dust. 

A  thunderbolt  which  plunged 
The  wicked  one  into  the  abyss, 

A  thunberbolt  which  Liberty 
Lanched  against  Carlism. 

Let  us  triumph  my  friends,  &c. 

Of  the  brave  chief, 

Of  the  good,  the  valiant, 

Let  us  gird  the  forehead 
With  myrtle  and  laurel. 

Thy  brave  right  hand 
Heroic  warrior 
Thy  right  hand,  Espartero 
Subdued  the  Disloyal  One. 

Let  us  triumph  my  friends,  &c. 

Our  holy  laws 

Will  be  acknowledged, 

And  kings  will  tremble 
At  the  power  of  Spain. 

And  should  a  tyrant  grasp 
The  sceptre  of  opprobrium, 

From  his  infamous  hand 
We  shall  cause  it  to  fall. 

Let  us  triumph  my  friends,  &c. 

Health  to  Isabella 
Health  to  Christina 
Whom  Heaven  has  destined 
To  save  the  country. 


88 


FINE  VOICE. 


And  may  he  freely  crown 
The  white  forehead 
Of  the  innocent  princess 
He  swore  to  protect. 

Let  us  triumph  my  friends,  &c. 

And  thou,  Messenger 
Of  peace  and  joy, 

Hear  the  pure  voice 
Of  our  loyalty. 

Hear  the  accents 
Which  we  raise  to  Heaven, 

Hear  what  we  cry 
Country Liberty  ! 

Let  us  triumph  my  friends,  &c. 

Thou,  C - n,  shalt  be 

The  worthy  symbol 
Of  grateful  reunion 
Of  eternal  friendship, 

Which  already  has  changed 
In  both  worlds 
Insane  Discord 
Into  concord  and  fraternity. 

Let  us  triumph  my  friends,  &c. 


The  air  was  rent  with  vivas !  and  bravos !  as  the 
Senorita  de  F - concluded.  Her  voice  was  beau¬ 

tiful,  and  after  the  first  moment  of  embarrassment, 
she  sang  with  much  spirit  and  enthusiasm.  This  was 
the  finale  of  the  serenade,  and  then  the  serenaders 
were  invited  in,  and  were  in  such  numbers  that  the 
room  would  scarcely  hold  them  all.  More  cigars, 
more  punch,  more  giving  of  thanks.  About  three 
o’clock,  the  crowd  began  to  disperse,  and  at  length 
after  those  Spanish  leave-takings,  which  are  really  no 
joke,  had  ended,  Captain  E - ,  C - n  and  I,  all 


ACTORS  AND  MATADORS. 


89 


three  excessively  cold  and  shivering,  having  passed 
the  night  at  the  open  windows,  consoled  ourselves 
with  hot  chocolate  and  punch,  and  went  to  dream  of 
sweet-sounding  harmonies.  Altogether,  it  was  a 
scene  which  I  would  not  have  missed  for  a  great  deal. 

The  enthusiasm  caused  by  the  arrival  of  the  first 
minister  from  Spain  seems  gradually  to  increase. 
The  actors  are  to  give  him  a  “funcion  extraordina- 
ria ,”  in  the  theatre  —  the  matadors  a  bull-fight  ex¬ 
traordinary,  with  fire- works .  But  in  all  this 

you  must  not  suppose  there  is  any  personal  compli¬ 
ment.  It  is  merely  intended  as  a  mark  of  good  will 
towards  the  first  representative  of  the  Spanish  mon¬ 
archy  who  brings  from  the  mother  country  the  for¬ 
mal  acknowledgment  of  Mexican  independence. 


& 


LETTER  THE  SEVENTH. 


D6but  in  Mexico  —  Cathedral  —  Temple  of  the  Aztecs  —  Congre¬ 
gation  —  Stone  of  sacrifices  —  Palace  —  Importunate  16peros  — 

Visit  to  the  President  —  Countess  C - a — Street  cries  —  Tor- 

tilleras — Sartor  Rcsartus. 

I  made  my  debut  in  Mexico  by  going  to  mass  in  the 
cathedral.  We  drove  through  the  Alameda,  near 
which  we  live,  and  admired  its  noble  trees,  flowers, 
and  fountains,  all  sparkling  in  the  sun.  We  met  but 
few  carriages  there,  an  occasional  gentleman  on  horse¬ 
back,  and  a  few  solitary-looking  people  resting  on 
the  stone  benches,  also  plenty  of  beggars,  and  the 
forcats  in  chains,  watering  the  avenues.  We  passed 
through  the  Calle  San  Francisco,  the  handsomest  street 
in  Mexico,  both  as  to  shops  and  houses,  (containing, 
amongst  others,  the  richly  carved  but  now  half-ruined 
palace  of  Yturbide)  and  which  terminates  in  the 
great  square  where  stand  the  cathedral  and  the 
palace.  The  streets  were  crowded,  it  being  a  holi¬ 
day;  and  the  purity  of  the  atmosphere,  with  the  sun 
pouring  down  upon  the  bright-colored  groups,  and 
these  groups  so  picturesque,  whether  of  soldiers  or 
monks,  peasants  or  veiled  ladies ;  the  very  irregular¬ 
ity  of  the  buildings,  the  number  of  fine  churches  and 
old  convents,  and  everything  on  so  grand  a  scale, 
even  though  touched  by  the  finger  of  time,  or  crush- 


CATHEDRAL. 


91 


ed  by  the  iron  heel  of  revolution,  that  the  attention 
is  constantly  kept  alive,  and  the  interest  excited. 

The  carriage  drew  up  in  front  of  the  cathedral, 
built  upon  the  site  of  part  of  the  ruins  of  the  great 
temple  of  the  Aztecs  ;  of  that  pyramidal  temple,  con¬ 
structed  by  Ahuitzotli ,  the  sanctuary  so  celebrated 
by  the  Spaniards,  and  which  comprehended  with  all 
its  different  edifices  and  sanctuaries,  the  ground  on 
which  the  cathedral  now  stands,  together  with  part  of 
the  plaza  and  streets  adjoining. 

We  are  told,  that  within  its  enclosure  were  five 
hundred  dwellings,  that  its  hall  was  built  of  stone 
and  lime,  and  ornamented  with  stone  serpents.  We 
hear  of  its  four  great  gates,  fronting  the  four  car¬ 
dinal  points,  of  its  stone-paved  court,  great  stone 
stairs,  and  sanctuaries  dedicated  to  the  gods  of  war; 
of  the  square  destined  for  religious  dances,  and  the 
colleges  for  the  priests,  and  seminaries  for  the  priest¬ 
esses  ;  of  the  horrible  temple,  whose  door  was  an 
enormous  serpent’s  mouth  ;  of  the  temple  of  mirrors 
and  that  of  shells  ;  of  the  house  set  apart  for  the 
Emperor’s  prayers  ;  of  the  consecrated  fountains, 
the  birds  kept  for  sacrifice,  the  gardens  for  the  holy 
flowers,  and  of  the  terrible  towers  composed  of  the 
skulls  of  the  victims  ;  strange  mixture  of  the  beauti¬ 
ful  and  the  horrible  !  We  are  told  that  five  thousand 
priests  chanted  night  and  day  in  the  Great  Temple, 
to  the  honor  and  in  the  service  of  the  monstrous 
Idols,  who  were  anointed  thrice  a  day  with  the  most 
precious  perfumes,  and  that  of  these  priests  the  most 
austere  were  clothed  in  black,  their  long  hair  dyed 
with  ink,  and  their  bodies  anointed  with  the  ashes  of 


92 


TRADITIONS. 


burnt  scorpions  and  spiders  ;  their  chiefs  were  the 
sons  of  kings. 

It  is  remarkable,  by  the  way,  that  their  god  of  war 
Mejitli,  was  said  to  have  been  born  of  a  woman,  a 
Holy  Virgin,  who  was  in  the  service  of  the  temple, 
and  that  when  the  priests  having  knowledge  of  her 
disgrace,  would  have  stoned  her,  a  voice  was  heard, 
saying:  “Fear  not,  mother;  for  I  shall  save  thy 
honor  and  my  glory upon  which,  the  god  was 
born,  with  a  shield  in  his  left  hand,  an  arrow  in  his 
right,  a  plume  of  green  feathers  on  his  head  ;  his  face 
painted  blue,  and  his  left  leg  adorned  with  feathers  ! 
Thus  was  his  gigantic  statue  represented. 

There  were  gods  of  the  Water,  of  the  Earth,  of 
Night,  Fire  and  Hell ;  goddesses  of  Flowers  and  of 
Corn  ;  there  were  oblations  offered  of  bread  and 
flowers  and  jewels,  but  we  are  assured  that  from 
twenty  to  fifty  thousand  human  victims  were  sacri¬ 
ficed  annually  in  Mexico  alone  !  That  these  ac¬ 
counts  are  exaggerated,  even  though  a  Bishop  is 
among  the  narrators,  we  can  scarcely  doubt,  but  if 
the  tenth  part  be  the  truth,  let  the  memory  of  Cortes 
be  sacred,  who,  with  the  cross  stopped  the  shedding 
of  innocent  blood,  founded  the  cathedral  on  the  ruins 
of  the  temple,  which  had  so  often  resounded  with 
human  groans,  and  in  the  place  of  these  blood- 
smeared  idols  enshrined  the  mild  form  of  the  Virgin. 

Meanwhile  we  entered  the  Christian  edifice,  which 
covers  an  immense  space  of  ground,  is  of  the  gothic 
form,  with  two  lofty  ornamented  towers,  and  is  still 
immensely  rich  in  gold,  silver  and  jewels.  A  balus¬ 
trade  running  through  it,  which  was  brought  from 


AZTEC  CALENDAR. 


93 


China,  is  said  to  be  very  valuable,  but  seems  to  me 
more  curious  than  beautiful.  It  is  a  composition  of 
brass  and  silver.  Not  a  soul  was  in  the  sacred  pre¬ 
cincts  this  morning,  but  miserable  leperos  in  rags  and 
blankets,  mingled  with  women  in  ragged  rebosos  — 
at  least  a  sprinkling  of  ladies  with  mantillas  was  so 
very  slight,  that  I  do  not  think  there  were  half  a 
dozen  in  all.  The  floor  is  so  dirty  that  one  kneels 
with  a  feeling  of  horror,  and  an  inward  determination 
to  effect  as  speedy  a  change  of  garments  afterwards, 
as  possible.  Besides,  many  of  my  Indian  neighbors 
were  engaged  in  an  occupation  which  I  must  leave  to 
your  imagination  ;  in  fact,  relieving  their  heads  from 
the  pressure  of  the  colonial  system  ;  or  rather,  eradi¬ 
cating  and  slaughtering  the  colonists,  who  swarm 
there  like  the  emigrant  Irish  in  the  United  States.  I 
was  not  sorry  to  find  myself  once  more  in  the  pure 
air  after  mass  ;  and  have  since  been  told  that  except 
on  peculiar  occasions,  and  at  certain  hours,  few  la¬ 
dies  perform  their  devotions  in  the  cathedral.  I  shall 
learn  all  these  particulars  in  time. 

We  saw  as  we  passed  out,  the  Aztec  Calendar,  a 
round  stone  covered  with  hieroglyphics,  which  is  still 
preserved  and  fastened  on  the  outside  of  the  cathe¬ 
dral.  We  afterwards  saw  the  Stone  of  Sacrifices, 
now  in  the  court  yard  of  the  University,  with  a  hollow 
in  the  middle,  in  which  the  victim  was  laid,  while  six 
priests,  dressed  in  red,  their  heads  adorned  with 
plumes  of  green  feathers,  (they  must  have  looked  like 
macaws)  with  gold  and  green  ear-rings,  and  blue 
stones  in  their  upper  lips,  held  him  down,  while  the 
chief  priest  cut  open  his  breast,  threw  his  heart  at  the 


94 


PRESENTATION. 


feet  of  the  idol,  and  afterwards  put  it  into  his  mouth 
with  a  golden  spoon.  They  then  cut  off  his  head,  to 
make  use  of  it  in  building  the  tower  of  skulls,  eat 
some  parts  of  him,  and  either  burnt  the  rest,  or 
threw  it  to  the  wild  beasts  who  were  maintained  in 
the  palace. 

These  interesting  particulars  occurred  to  us  as  we 
looked  at  the  Stone,  and  we  were  not  sorry  to  think 
that  it  is  now  more  ornamental  than  useful. 

After  leaving  the  cathedral,  C - n  fastened  on 

his  orders  in  the  carriage,  as  this  day  was  appointed 
for  his  presentation  to  the  President,  and  we  drove 
to  the  palace,  where  I  left  him,  and  returned  home. 
He  was  received  with  great  etiquette,  a  band  of  music 
playing  in  the  court,  the  President  in  full  uniform, 
surrounded  by  all  his  ministers  and  aides-de-camp, 
standing  before  a  throne,  under  a  velvet  dais,  his  feet 
upon  a  tabouret,  the  whole  being  probably  the  same 
as  was  used  by  the  Viceroys  Viva  la  Rejmblica  ! 

C - n  made  a  discourse  to  him,  and  he  made  one 

in  return,  both  of  which  may  be  found  by  those  who 
are  curious  in  these  matters,  in  the  Diario  of  the 
31st  December . 

Whilst  I  am  writing,  a  horrible  lepero,  with  great 
leering  eyes,  is  looking  at  me  through  the  win¬ 
dows,  and  performing  the  most  extraordinary  series 
of  groans,  displaying  at  the  same  time  a  hand 
with  two  long  fingers,  probably  the  other  three 
tied  in.  “  Sehorita  !  Sehorita  !  For  the  love  of  the 
Most  Holy  Virgin  !  For  the  sake  of  the  most 
pure  blood  of  Christ !  By  the  miraculous  Concep¬ 
tion  !  —  ”  The  wretch  !  I  dare  not  look  up,  bu,t 


LEPEROS. 


95 


I  feel  that  his  eyes  are  fixed  upon  a  gold  watch  and 
seals  lying  on  the  table.  That  is  the  worst  of  a 
house  on  the  ground  floor.  .  .  .  There  come  more 
of  them  !  A  paralytic  woman  mounted  on  the  back 
of  a  man  with  a  long  beard.  A  sturdy-looking  indi¬ 
vidual,  who  looks  as  if,  were  it  not  for  the  iron  bars, 
he  would  resort  to  more  effective  measures,  is  hold¬ 
ing  up  a  deformed  foot,  which  I  verily  believe  is 
merely  fastened  back  in  some  extraordinary  way. 
What  groans  !  what  rags !  what  a  chorus  of  whin¬ 
ing  !  This  concourse  is  probably  owing  to  our  having 
sent  them  some  money  yesterday.  I  try  to  take  no 
notice,  and  write  on  as  if  I  were  deaf.  I  must  walk 
out  of  the  room,  without  looking  behind  me,  and 
send  the  porter  to  disperse  them.  There  are  no  bell- 
ropes  in  these  parts.  .  .  . 

I  come  back  again  to  write,  hardly  recovered  from 
the  start  that  I  have  just  got.  I  had  hardly  written 
the  last  words,  when  I  heard  a  footstep  near  me,  and, 
looking  up,  lo  !  there  was  my  friend  with  the  foot, 
standing  within  a  yard  of  me,  his  hand  stretched  out 
for  alms  !  I  was  so  frightened,  that  for  a  moment  I 
thought  of  giving  him  my  watch,  to  get  rid  of  him. 
However,  I  glided  past  him  with  a  few  unintelligible 
words,  and  rushed  to  call  the  servants  ;  sending  him 
some  money  by  the  first  person  who  came.  The 
porter,  who  had  not  seen  him  pass,  is  now  dispers¬ 
ing  the  crowd.  What  vociferous  exclamations ! 

A - has  come  in,  and  drawn  the  curtains,  and  I 

think  they  are  going  off. 

Yesterday  evening,  I  was  taken  to  visit  the  Presi¬ 
dent.  The  palace  is  an  immense  building,  contain- 


96 


GENERAL  BUSTAMANTE. 


ing,  besides  the  apartments  of  the  President  and  his 
ministers,  all  the  chief  courts  of  justice.  It  occupies 
one  side  of  the  square,  but  is  no  way  remarkable  in 
its  architecture.  At  the  end  of  every  flight  of  steps 
that  we  mounted,  we  came  upon  lounging  soldiers, 
in  their  yellow  cloaks,  and  women  in  rebosos,  stand¬ 
ing  about.  We  passed  through  a  hall  filled  with 
soldiers,  into  the  antechamber,  where  we  were  re¬ 
ceived  by  several  aides-de-camp,  who  conducted  us 
into  a  very  well-furnished  room,  where  we  sat  a  few 
minutes,  till  an  officer  came  to  lead  us  into  the  re¬ 
ception-room,  which  is  a  handsome  apartment, 
about  a  hundred  feet  long,  and  fitted  up  with  crim¬ 
son  and  gold,  also  well  lighted.  General  Busta¬ 
mante,  now  in  plain  clothes,  gave  us  a  very  cordial 
reception. 

He  looks  like  a  good  man,  with  an  honest,  benevo¬ 
lent  face,  frank  and  simple  in  his  manners,  and  not 
at  all  like  a  hero.  His  conversation  was  not  brilliant, 
indeed  I  do  not  know  apropos  to  what,  I  suppose  to 
the  climate,  but  it  chiefly  turned  on  medicine.  There 
cannot  be  a  greater  contrast,  both  in  appearance  and 
reality,  than  between  him  and  Santa  Anna.  There 
is  no  lurking  devil  in  his  eye.  All  is  frank,  open, 
and  unreserved.  It  is  impossible  to  look  in  his  face 
without  believing  him  to  be  an  honest  and  well-in¬ 
tentioned  man.  An  unprincipled  but  clever  writer, 
has  said  of  him,  that  he  has  no  great  capacity  or  su¬ 
perior  genius,  but  that,  whether  from  reflection  or 
from  slowness  of  comprehension,  he  is  always  ex¬ 
tremely  calm  in  his  determinations  ;  that  before  en¬ 
tering  into  any  project,  he  inquires  and  considers 


FINE  HOUSES. 


97 


deeply  as  to  whether  it  be  just  or  not ;  but  that  once 
convinced  that  it  is  or  appears  to  be  so,  he  sustains 
his  ground  with  firmness  and  constancy.  He  adds, 
that  it  suits  him  better  to  obey  than  to  command,  for 
which  reason  he  was  always  so  devoted  a  servant  of 
the  Spaniards  and  of  Y turbide. 

He  is  said  to  be  a  devoted  friend,  is  honest  to  a 
proverb,  and  personally  brave,  though  occasionally 
deficient  in  moral  energy.  He  is  therefore  an  esti¬ 
mable  man,  and  one  who  will  do  his  duty  to  the  best 
of  his  ability,  though  whether  he  has  severity  and 
energy  sufficient  for  those  evil  days  in  which  it  is  his 
lot  to  govern,  may  be  problematical. 

Having  made  a  sufficiently  long  visit  to  His  Ex¬ 
cellency,  we  went  to  return  that  of  the  Countess 

C - a,  who  has  a  magnificent  house,  with  suits  of 

large  rooms,  of  which  the  drawing-room  is  particu¬ 
larly  handsome,  of  immense  size,  the  walls  beautifully 
painted,  the  subjects  religious,  and  where  I  found  one 
of  Broadwood’s  finest  grand  pianos.  But  although 
there  are  cabinets  inlaid  with  gold,  fine  paintings, 
and  hundreds  of  rich  and  curious  things,  our  Euro¬ 
pean  eyes  are  struck  with  numerous  inconsistencies 
in  dress,  servants,  <Yc.,  in  all  of  which  there  is  a  want 
of  keeping  very  remarkable.  Yet  this  house,  and 
the  one  adjoining,  which  also  belongs  to  the  family, 
are  palaces  in  vastness,  and  the  Countess  receives 
me  more  as  if  I  were  her  daughter,  than  a  person 
with  whom  she  has  been  acquainted  but  a  few  days. 

There  are  an  extraordinary  number  of  street-cries 
in  Mexico,  which  begin  at  dawn  and  continue  till 
night,  performed  by  hundreds  of  discordant  voices, 
9 


VOL.  I. 


98 


STREET  CRIES. 


impossible  to  understand  at  first  ;  but  Senor  - - 

lias  been  giving  me  an  explanation  of  them,  until  I 
begin  to  have  some  distinct  idea  of  their  meaning. 
At  dawn  you  are  awakened  by  the  shrill  and  de¬ 
sponding  cry  of  the  Carbonero,  the  coal-men,  “Car¬ 
bon  !  Senor,”  which  as  he  pronounces  it,  sounds  like 
“  Carbosiu  !  ”  Then  the  grease-man  takes  up  the 
song,  “  Mantequilla  !  lard  !  lard  !  at  one  real  and  a 
half.”  “  Salt  beef!  good  salt  beef!  ”  (Cecina  bu- 
ena !  ” )  interrupts  the  butcher  in  a  hoarse  voice. 
“  Hay  cebo-o-o-o-o-o  ?  ”  This  is  the  prolonged  and 
melancholy  note  of  the  woman  who  buys  kitchen 
suet,  and  stops  before  the  door.  Then  passes  by  the 
cambista,  a  sort  of  Indian  she-trader  or  exchanger, 
who  sings  out,  “  Tejocotes  por  venas  de  chile?”  a 
small  fruit  which  she  proposes  exchanging  for  hot 
peppers.  No  harm  in  that. 

A  kind  of  ambulating  pedler  drowns  the  shrill 
treble  of  the  Indian  cry.  He  calls  aloud  upon  the 
public  to  buy  needles,  pins,  thimbles,  shirt-buttons, 
tape,  cotton-balls,  small  mirrors,  &c.  He  enters  the 
house,  and  is  quickly  surrounded  by  the  women, 
young  and  old,  offering  him  the  tenth  part  of  what 
he  asks,  and  which,  after  much  haggling,  he  accepts. 
Behind  him  stands  the  Indian  with  his  tempting  bas¬ 
kets  of  fruit,  of  which  he  calls  out  all  the  names,  till 
the  cook  or  housekeeper  can  resist  no  longer,  and 
putting  her  head  over  the  balustrade,  calls  him  up 
with  his  bananas,  and  oranges,  and  granaditas,  &c. 

A  sharp  note  of  interrogation  is  heard,  indicating 
something  that  is  hot,  and  must  be  snapped  up 
quickly  before  it  cools.  “  Gorditas  de  horna  ca- 


TORTILLAS. 


99 


liente  ?”  Little  fat  cakes  from  the  oven,  hot  ?  ” 
This  is  in  a  female  key,  sharp  and  shrill.  Follows 
the  mat-seller.  “  Who  wants  mats  from  Puebla  ? 
mats  of  five  yards  ?  ”  These  are  the  most  matinal 
cries. 

At  mid-day  the  beggars  begin  to  be  particularly 
importunate,  and  their  cries,  and  prayers,  and  long 
recitations,  form  a  running  accompaniment  to  the 
other  noises.  Then  above  all  rises  the  cry  of  “  Hon¬ 
ey-cakes  !  ”  “  Cheese  and  honey  ?  ”  “  Requeson 

and  good  honey  ?  ”  ( Requeson  being  a  sort  of  hard 

curd,  sold  in  cheeses.)  Then  come  the  dulce-men, 
the  sellers  of  sweetmeats,  of  meringues,  which  are 
very  good,  and  of  all  sorts  of  candy.  “  Caramelos 
de  esperma  !  bocadillo  de  coco  !  ”  Then  the  lottery- 
men,  the  messengers  of  Fortune,  with  their  shouts  of 
“  The  last  ticket,  yet  unsold,  for  half  a  real !  ”  a 
tempting  aqilouncement  to  the  lazy  beggar,  who  finds 
it  easier  to  gamble  than  to  work,  and  who  may  have 
that  sum  hid  about  his  rags. 

Towards  evening  rises  the  cry  of  “  Tortillas  de 
cuajada  ?  ”  “  Curd-cakes  ?  ”  or,  “  Do  you  take 

nuts  ?  ”  succeeded  by  the  night-cry  of  “  Chestnuts 
hot  and  roasted !  ”  and  by  the  affectionate  venders 
of  ducks  ;  “  Ducks,  oh  my  soul,  hot  ducks  !  ” 

“  Maize-cakes,”  &c.,  &c.,  &c.  As  the  night  wears 
away,  the  voices  die  off,  to  resume  next  morning  in 
fresh  vigor. 

Tortillas,  which  are  the  common  food  of  the  peo¬ 
ple,  and  which  are  merely  maize  cakes  mixed  with  a 
little  lime,  and  of  the  form  and  size  of  what  we  call 
scones ,  I  find  rather  good  when  very  hot  and  fresh- 


100 


SARTOR  RESARTUS. 


baked,  but  insipid  by  themselves.  They  have  been 
in  use  all  through  this  country  since  the  earliest  ages 
of  its  history,  without  any  change  in  the  manner 
of  baking  them,  excepting  that,  for  the  noble  Mexi¬ 
cans  in  former  days,  they  used  to  be  kneaded  with 
various  medicinal  plants,  supposed  to  render  them 
more  wholesome.  They  are  considered  particularly 
palatable  with  chile,  to  endure  which,  in  the  quanti¬ 
ties  in  which  it  is  eaten  here,  it  seems  to  me  neces¬ 
sary  to  have  a  throat  lined  with  tin. 

In  unpacking  some  books  to-day,  I  happened  to 
take  up  “  Sartor  Resartus,”  which,  by  a  curious  coin¬ 
cidence,  opened  of  itself,  to  my  great  delight,  at  the 
following  passage : 

“  The  simplest  costume,”  observes  our  Professor, 
“  which  I  anywhere  find  alluded  to  in  history,  is  that 
used  as  regimental  by  Bolivar’s  cavalry,  in  the  late 
Columbian  wars.  A  square  blanket,  twelve  feet  in 
diagonal,  is  provided,  (some  were  wont  to  cut  off  the 
corners,  and  make  it  circular ;)  in  the  centre  a  slit  is 
effected,  eighteen  inches  long ;  through  this  the 
mother-naked  trooper  introduces  his  head  and  neck  ; 
and  so  rides,  shielded  from  all  weather,  and  in  battle 
from  many  strokes  (for  he  rolls  it  about  his  left  arm  ;) 
and  not  only  dressed,  but  harnessed  and  draperied.” 
Here  then  we  find  the  true  “  Old  Roman  contempt 
of  the  superfluous,”  which  seems  rather  to  meet  the 
approbation  of  the  illustrious  Professor  Tenfelsdroch. 


LETTER  THE  EIGHTH. 


Ball  in  preparation  —  Agreeable  family — Fine  voices  —  Theatre 

—  Smoking — Castle  of  Chapultepec  —  Viceroy  Galvez  — 
Montezuma’s  Cypress  —  Vice-Queen  —  Valley  of  Mexico  — 
New  Year’s  Day  —  Opening  of  Congress — Visits  from  the 
Diplomatic  Corps  —  Poblana  Dress  —  “  Funcion  extraordi- 
naria  ”  —  Theatre  —  Visit  to  the  Cathedral  of  Guadalupe 

—  Divine  Painting  —  Bishop — Beggars —  Mosquitoes’  Eggs. 


A  great  ball  is  to  be  given  on  the  8th  of  January, 
in  the  theatre,  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  which  is 
to  be  under  the  patronage  of  the  most  distinguished 
ladies  of  Mexico.  After  much  deliberation  amongst 
the  patronesses,  it  is  decided  that  it  shall  be  a  bal 
costume,  and  I  have  some  thoughts  of  going  in  the 
Poblana  dress,  which  I  before  described  to  you.  As 

I  am  told  that  the  Senora  G - -a  wore  it  at  a  ball 

in  London,  when  her  husband  was  minister  there,  I 
have  sent  my  maid  to  learn  the  particulars  from  her. 

We  called  to-day  on  a  family  nearly  related  to  the 

C - as,  and  who  have  been  already  excessively 

kind  to  us ;  Senor  A - d,  who  is  married  to  a 

daughter  of  Don  Francisco  Tagle,  a  very  distin¬ 
guished  Mexican.  We  found  a  very  large,  very 
handsome  house,  the  walls  and  roof  painted  in  the 
old  Spanish  style,  which,  when  well  executed,  has 
an  admirable  effect.  The  lady  of  the  house,  who  is 


102 


THEATRE. 


only  nineteen,  I  took  a  fancy  to  at  first  sight.  She 
is  not  regularly  beautiful,  but  has  lovely  dark  eyes 
and  eyebrows,  with  fair  complexion  and  fair  hair, 
and  an  expression  of  the  most  perfect  goodness,  with 
very  amiable  manners.  I  was  surprised  by  hearing 
her  sing  several  very  difficult  Italian  songs  with  great 
expression,  and  wonderful  facility.  She  has  a  fine 
contralto,  which  has  been  cultivated ;  but  some 
Spanish  ballads,  and  little  songs  of  the  country,  she 
sang  so  delightfully,  and  with  so  much  good-nature 
and  readiness,  that  had  it  not  been  a  first  visit,  I 
should  have  begged  her  to  continue  during  half  the 
morning.  Fine  voices  are  said  to  be  extremely  com¬ 
mon,  as  is  natural  in  a  country  peopled  from  Spain, 
and  the  opera,  while  it  lasted,  contributed  greatly  to 
tiie  cultivation  of  musical  taste. 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  theatre.  Such  a 
theatre !  dark,  dirty,  redolent  of  bad  odors  ;  the  pas¬ 
sages  leading  to  the  boxes  so  ill-lighted,  that  one  is 
afraid  in  the  dark  to  pick  one’s  steps  through  them. 
The  acting  was  nearly  of  a  piece.  The  first  actress, 
who  is  a  favorite,  and  who  dresses  well,  and  bears  a 
high  reputation  for  good  conduct,  is  perfectly  wood¬ 
en,  and  never  frightened  out  of  her  proprieties  in  the 
most  tragical  scenes.  I  am  sure  there  is  not  a  fold 
deranged  in  her  dress  when  she  goes  home.  Besides, 
she  has  a  most  remarkable  trick  of  pursing  up  her 
mouth  in  a  smile,  and  frowning  at  the  same  time 
with  tears  in  her  eyes,  as  if  personifying  an  April 
day.  I  should  like  to  hear  her  sing 

“  Said  a  smile  to  a  tear.” 

There  was  no  applause,  and  half  the  boxes  were 


CHAPULTEPEC. 


103 


empty,  whilst  those  who  were  there  seemed  merely 
to  occupy  them  from  the  effect  of  habit,  and  be¬ 
cause  this  is  the  only  evening  amusement.  The 
prompter  spoke  so  loud,  that  as 

“  Coming  events  cast  their  shadows  before,” 

every  word  was  made  known  to  the  audience  in  con¬ 
fidence,  before  it  came  out  upon  the  stage  officially. 
The  whole  pit  smoked,  the  galleries  smoked,  the 
boxes  smoked,  the  prompter  smoked,  a  long  stream 
of  smoke  curling  from  his  box,  giving  something 
oracular  and  Delphic  to  his  prophecies. 

“  The  force  of  smoking  could  no  farther  go.” 

The  theatre  is  certainly  unworthy  of  this  fine  city. 

31^.  —  We  have  spent  the  day  in  visiting  the 
castle  of  Chapultepec,  a  short  league  from  Mexico, 
the  most  haunted  by  recollections  of  all  the  tradition¬ 
ary  sites  of  which  Mexico  can  boast.  Could  these 
hoary  cypresses  speak,  what  tales  might  they  not 
disclose,  standing  there  with  their  long  gray  beards, 
and  outstretched  venerable  arms,  century  after  cen¬ 
tury  ;  already  old  when  Montezuma  was  a  boy,  and 
still  vigorous  in  the  days  of  Bustamante  !  There  has 
the  last  of  the  Aztec  emperors  wandered  with  his 
dark-eyed  harem.  Under  the  shade  of  these  gigantic 
trees  he  has  rested,  perhaps  smoked  his  “  tobacco 
mingled  with  amber,”  and  fallen  to  sleep,  his  dreams 
unhaunted  by  visions  of  the  stern  traveller  from  the 
far-east,  whose  sails  even  then  might  be  within  sight 
of  the  shore.  In  these  tanks  he  has  bathed.  Here 
were  his  gardens,  and  his  aviaries,  and  his  fish-ponds. 
Through  these  now  tangled  and  deserted  woods,  he 


104 


RECOLLECTIONS. 


may  have  been  carried  by  his  young  nobles  in  his 
open  litter,  under  a  splendid  dais,  stepping  out  upon 
the  rich  stuffs  which  his  slaves  spread  before  him  on 
that  green  and  velvet  turf. 

And  from  the  very  rock  where  the  Castle  stands, 
he  may  have  looked  out  upon  his  fertile  valley,  and 
great  capital,  with  its  canoe-covered  lakes,  and 
outspreading  villages  and  temples,  and  gardens  of 
flowers,  no  care  for  the  future  darkening  the  bright 
vision. 

Tradition  says,  that  now  these  caves  and  tanks 
and  woods  are  haunted  by  the  shade  of  the  Conquer¬ 
or’s  Indian  love,  the  far-famed  Doha  Marina,  but  I 
think  she  would  be  afraid  of  meeting  with  the  wrath¬ 
ful  spirit  of  the  Indian  emperor. 

The  Castle  itself,  modern  though  it  be,  seems  like 
a  tradition.  The  Viceroy  Galvez,  who  built  it,  is  of 
a  by-gone  race  !  The  apartments  are  lonely  and 
abandoned,  the  walls  falling  to  ruin,  the  glass  of  the 
windows  and  the  carved  work  of  the  doors  have 
been  sold ;  and,  standing  at  this  great  height,  expos¬ 
ed  to  every  wind  that  blows,  it  is  rapidly  falling  to 

decay.  We  were  accompanied  by  Count  C - a, 

and  received  by  a  Mexican  governor,  who  rarely  re¬ 
sides  there,  and  who  very  civilly  conducted  us  every¬ 
where.  But  Chapultepec  is  not  a  show-place.  One 
must  go  there  early  in  the  morning,  when  the  dew  is 
on  the  grass,  or  in  the  evening,  when  the  last  rays  of 
the  sun  are  gilding  with  rosy  light  the  snowy  sum¬ 
mits  of  the  volcanoes ;  and  dismount  from  your 
horse,  or  step  out  of  your  carriage,  and  wander  forth 
without  guide,  or  object,  or  fixed  time  for  return. 


MONTEZUMA  S  CYPRESS. 


105 


We  set  off  early,  passing  over  a  fine  paved  road, 
divided  by  a  great  and  solid  aqueduct  of  nine  hun¬ 
dred  arches,  one  of  the  two  great  aqueducts  by  which 
fresh  water  is  conveyed  to  the  city,  and  of  which  the 
two  sources  are  in  the  hill  of  Chapultepec,  and  in 
that  of  Santa  Fe,  at  a  much  greater  distance.  When 
we  arrived,  the  sleepy  soldiers,  who  were  lounging 
before  the  gates,  threw  them  open  to  let  the  carriage 
enter,  and  we  drew  up  in  front  of  the  great  cypress, 
known  by  the  name  of  “  Montezuma’s  Cypress,”  a 
most  stupendous  tree,  dark,  solemn  and  stately,  its 
branches  unmoved  as  the  light  wind  played  amongst 
them,  of  most  majestic  height,  and  forty-one  feet  in 
circumference.  A  second  cypress  standing  near,  and 
of  almost  equal  size,  is  even  more  graceful,  and  they, 
and  all  the  noble  trees  which  adorn  these  speaking 
solitudes,  are  covered  with  a  creeping  plant  resem¬ 
bling  gray  moss,  hanging  over  every  branch  like  long 
gray  hair,  giving  them  a  most  venerable  and  druid- 
ical  look. 

We  wandered  through  the  noble  avenues,  and 
rested  under  the  trees,  and  walked  through  the  tan¬ 
gled  shrubberies,  bright  with  flowers  and  colored 
berries,  and  groped  our  way  into  the  cave,  and  stood 
by  the  large  clear  tank,  and  spent  some  time  in  the 
old  garden  ;  and  then  got  again  into  the  carriage, 
that  we  might  be  dragged  up  the  precipitous  ascent 
on  which  stands  the  castle,  the  construction  of  which 
aroused  the  jealousy  of  the  government  against  the 
young  Count,  whose  taste  for  the  picturesque  had 
induced  him  to  choose  this  elevated  site  for  his  sum¬ 
mer  palace. 


106 


VICE-QTJEEN. 


The  interior  was  never  finished  ;  yet,  even  as  it 
stands,  it  cost  the  Spanish  government  three  hun¬ 
dred  thousand  dollars.  When  we  look  at  its  strong 
military  capabilities  and  commanding  position,  forti¬ 
fied  with  salient  walls  and  parapets  towards  Mexico, 
and  containing  on  its  northern  side  great  moats  and 
subterranean  vaults  capable  of  holding  a  vast  supply 
of  provisions,  the  jealousy  of  the  government  and 
their  suspicions  that  it  was  a  fortress  masked  as  a 
summer  retreat,  are  accountable  enough. 

The  Vice-Queen  Galvez  was  celebrated  for  her 
beauty  and  goodness,  and  was  universally  adored  in 
Mexico.  A  sister  of  hers,  who  still  survives,  and  who 
paid  me  a  visit  the  other  day,  says  that  her  beauty 
chiefly  consisted  in  the  exceeding  fairness  of  her 
complexion,  very  few  blondes  having  then  been  seen 
in  this  part  of  the  world. 

From  the  terrace  that  runs  round  the  Castle,  the 
view  forms  the  most  magnificent  panorama  that  can 
be  imagined.  The  whole  valley  of  Mexico  lies 
stretched  out  as  in  a  map  ;  the  city  itself,  with  its  in¬ 
numerable  churches  and  convents  ;  the  two  great 
aqueducts  which  cross  the  plain  ;  the  avenues  of  elms 
and  poplars  which  lead  to  the  city  ;  the  villages,  lakes 
and  plains  which  surround  it.  To  the  north,  the 
magnificent  Cathedral  of  Our  Lady  of  Guadalupe  — 
to  the  south,  the  villages  of  San  Agustin,  San  Angel, 
and  Tacubaya,  which  seem  embosomed  in  trees,  and 
look  like  an  immense  garden.  And  if  in  the  plains 
below,  there  are  many  uncultivated  fields  and  many 
buildings  falling  to  ruin,  yet  with  its  glorious  enclo¬ 
sure  of  lofty  mountains,  above  which  tower  the  two 


NEW  YEAR’S  DAY. 


107 


mighty  volcanoes,  Popocatepetl  and  Iztaccihuatl,  the 
Gog  and  Magog  of  the  valley,  off  whose  giant  sides 
great  volumes  of  misty  clouds  were  rolling,  and  with 
its  turquoise  sky  forever  smiling  on  the  scene,  the 
whole  landscape,  as  viewed  from  this  height,  is  one  of 
nearly  unparalleled  beauty. 

Is*  January ,  1840.  —  New  Year’s  Day!  The 
birth  of  the  young  year  is  ushered  in  by  no  remark¬ 
able  signs  of  festivity.  More  ringing  of  bells,  more 
chanting  of  mass,  gayer  dresses  amongst  the  peasants 
in  the  streets,  and  more  carriages  passing  along,  and 
the  ladies  within  rather  more  dressed  than  apparently 
they  usually  are,  when  they  do  not  intend  to  pay 
visits.  In  passing  through  the  Plaza  this  morning, 
our  carriage  suddenly  drew  up,  and  the  servants  took 
off  their  hats.  At  the  same  moment,  the  whole 
population,  men,  women  and  children,  venders  and 
buyers,  peasant  and  sehora,  priest  and  layman,  drop¬ 
ped  on  their  knees,  a  picturesque  sight.  Presently  a 
coach  came  slowly  along  through  the  crowd,  with  the 
mysterious  Eye  painted  on  the  panels,  drawn  by 
piebald  horses,  and  with  priests  within,  bearing  the 
divine  symbols.  On  the  balconies,  in  the  shops,  in 
the  houses  and  on  the  streets,  every  one  knelt  while 
it  passed,  the  little  bell  giving  warning  of  its  approach. 

We  were  then  at  the  door  of  the  palace,  where  we 
went  this  morning  to  see  the  opening  of  Congress, 
the  two  houses  being  included  in  this  building.  The 
House  of  Representatives,  though  not  large,  is  hand¬ 
some,  and  in  good  taste.  Opposite  to  the  presiden¬ 
tial  chair,  is  a  full-length  representation  of  Our  Lady 
of  Guadalupe.  All  round  the  hall,  which  is  semi- 


108 


DIPLOMATIC  CORPS. 


circular,  are  inscribed  the  names  of  the  heroes  of  in¬ 
dependence,  and  that  of  the  Emperor  Agustin  Ytur- 
bide  is  placed  on  the  right  of  the  presidential  chair, 
with  his  sword  hanging  on  the  wall ;  while  on  the  left 
of  the  chief  magistrate’s  seat  there  is  a  vacant  space  ; 
perhaps  destined  for  the  name  of  another  emperor. 
The  multitude  of  priests  with  their  large  shovel-hats, 
and  the  entrance  of  the  president  in  full  uniform  an¬ 
nounced  by  music  and  a  flourish  of  trumpets,  and 
attended  by  his  staff,  rendered  it  as  anti-republican 
looking  an  assembly  as  one  could  wish  to  see.  The 
utmost  decorum  and  tranquillity  prevailed.  The 
president  made  a  speech  in  a  low  and  rather  monot¬ 
onous  tone,  which  in  the  diplomates  seat,  where  we 
were,  was  scarcely  audible.  No  ladies  were  in  the 
house,  myself  excepted  ;  which  1  am  glad  I  was  not 
aware  of,  before  going,  or  I  should  perhaps  have  staid 
away. 

Yesterday,  I  received  visits  from  the  gentlemen  of 
the  diplomatic  corps,  who  are  not  in  great  numbers 
here.  England,  Belgium,  Prussia,  and  the  United 
States,  are  the  only  countries  at  present  represented, 
Spain  excepted.  The  French  minister  has  not  ar¬ 
rived  yet,  but  is  expected  in  a  few  days.  I  was  not 
sorry  to  hear  English  spoken  once  more,  and  to  meet 
with  so  gentlemanly  a  person  as  the  minister  who  for 
the  last  fourteen  years  has  represented  our  island  in 
the  Republic.  His  visit,  and  a  large  packet  of  let¬ 
ters  just  received  from  Paris  and  from  the  United 
States,  have  made  me  feel  as  if  the  distance  from 
home  were  diminished  by  one  half. 

This  morning  a  very  handsome  dress  was  for- 


POBLANA  DRESS. 


109 


warded  to  me  with  the  compliments  of  a  lady  whom 

I  do  not  know,  the  wife  of  General - ;  with  a 

request,  that  if  I  should  go  to  the  Fancy  ball  as  a 
Poblana  peasant,  I  may  wear  this  costume.  It  is  a 
Poblana  dress,  and  very  superb  ;  consisting  of  a  petti¬ 
coat  of  maroon  colored  merino  with  gold  fringe,  gold 
bands  and  spangles  ;  an  under  petticoat  embroidered 
and  trimmed  with  rich  lace,  to  come  below  it.  The 
first  petticoat  is  trimmed  with  gold  up  the  sides, 
which  are  slit  open,  and  tied  up  with  colored  ribbon. 
With  this  must  be  worn  a  chemise,  richly  embroi¬ 
dered  round  the  neck  and  sleeves,  and  trimmed  with 
lace  ;  a  satin  vest,  open  in  front,  and  embroidered 
in  gold  ;  a  silk  sash  tied  behind,  the  ends  fringed  with 
gold,  and  a  small  silk  handkerchief  which  crosses  the 
neck,  with  gold  fringe.  I  had  already  another  dress 
prepared,  but  I  think  this  is  the  handsomer  of  the 
two. 

The  actors  have  just  called  to  inform  C— — n, 
that  their  “  funcion  extraor dinar ia  ”  in  his  honor,  is 
to  be  given  on  the  third,  that  a  box  is  prepared  for 
us,  and  that  the  play  is  to  be  Don  John  of  Austria.1 

4th.  — Having  sat  through  five  acts  last  evening  in 
the  theatre,  we  came  home  very  tired.  The  play  was 
awfully  long,  lasting  from  eight  o’clock  till  one  in  the 
morning.  At  the  end  of  the  first  act,  the  Prefect  and 
other  dignitaries  came  round  with  much  precipitation 
and  carried  off  C- — — n  to  a  large  box  in  the  centre, 
intended  for  him ;  for  not  knowing  which  it  was,  we 
had  gone  to  that  of  the  Countess  C - a.  The  the- 


1  Translated  from  the  French  of  Casimir  Delavigne. 
VOL.  i.  10 


110 


GUADALUPE. 


atre  looked  much  more  decent  than  before  ;  being 
lighted  up,  and  the  boxes  hung  with  silk  draperies  in 
honor  of  the  occasion.  The  ladies  also  were  in  full 
dress,  and  the  boxes  crowded,  so  that  one  could 
scarcely  recognise  the  house. 

This  morning  we  drove  out  to  see  the  Cathedral 

of  Our  Lady  of  Guadalupe  ;  C - n  in  one  carriage 

with  Count  C - a,  and  the  Senora  C - a  and  I 

in  another,  driven  by  Senor  A - d,  who  is  a  cele¬ 

brated  whip  ;  the  carriage  open,  with  handsome  white 
horses,  frisones  as  they  here  call  the  northern  horses, 
whether  from  England  or  the  United  States,  and 
which  are  much  larger  than  the  spirited  little  horses 
of  the  country.  As  usual,  we  were  accompanied  by 
four  armed  out-riders. 

We  passed  through  miserable  suburbs,  ruined, 
dirty,  and  with  a  commingling  of  odors  which  I  could 
boldly  challenge  those  of  Cologne  to  rival.  After 
leaving  the  town,  the  road  is  not  particularly  pretty, 
but  is  for  the  most  part,  a  broad,  strait  avenue,  bounded 
on  either  side  by  trees. 

At  Guadalupe,  on  the  hill  of  Tepayac,  there  stood 
in  days  of  yore,  the  Temple  of  Tonantzin,  the  god¬ 
dess  of  earth  and  of  corn,  a  mild  deity,  who  rejected 
human  victims,  and  was  only  to  be  propitiated  by  the 
sacrifices  of  turtle-doves,  swallows,  pigeons,  &c.  She 
was  the  protectress  of  the  Totonoqui  Indians.  The 
spacious  church,  which  now  stands  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  is  one  of  the  richest  in  Mexico.  Having 
put  on  veils,  no  bonnets  being  permitted  within  the 
precincts  of  a  church,  we  entered  this  far-famed 


THE  BISHOP. 


Ill 


sanctuary,  and  were  dazzled  by  the  profusion  of  sil¬ 
ver  with  which  it  is  ornamented. 

The  divine  painting  of  the  Virgin  of  Guadalupe, 
represents  her  in  a  blue  cloak  covered  with  stars,  a 
garment  of  crimson  and  gold,  her  hands  clasped,  and 
her  foot  on  a  crescent,  supported  by  a  cherub.  The 
painting  is  coarse,  and  only  remarkable  on  account  of 
the  tradition  attached  to  it. 

We  afterwards  visited  a  small  chapel,  covered  by  a 
dome,  built  over  a  boiling  spring,  whose  waters  pos¬ 
sess  miraculous  qualities,  and  bought  crosses  and 
medals  which  have  touched  the  holy  image,  and 
pieces  of  white  ribbon,  marked  with  the  measure  of 
the  Virgin’s  hands  and  feet.  We  climbed  (albeit  very 
warm)  by  a  steep  path  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  where 
there  is  another  chapel,  from  which  there  is  a  superb 
view  of  Mexico  ;  and  beside  it,  a  sort  of  monument 
in  the  form  of  the  sails  of  a  ship,  erected  by  a  grate¬ 
ful  Spaniard,  to  commemorate  his  escape  from  ship¬ 
wreck,  which  he  believed  to  be  owing  to  the  interces¬ 
sion  of  Our  Lady  of  Guadalupe.  We  then  went  to 
the  village  to  call  on  the  Bishop,  the  Ylustrisimo  Senor 
Campos,  whom  we  found  in  his  canonicals,  and  who 
seems  a  good,  little  old  man,  but  no  conjuror  ;  although 
I  believe  he  had  the  honor  of  bringing  up  his  cousin, 
Senor  Posada,  destined  to  be  Archbishop  of  Mexico. 
We  found  him  quietly  seated  in  a  large,  simply  fur¬ 
nished  room,  and  apparently  buried  over  some  huge 
volumes,  so  that  he  was  not  at  first  aware  of  our 
entrance. 

A  picture  of  the  Virgin  of  Guadalupe  hung  on  the 
wall,  which  C - n  having  noticed,  he  observed  that 


112 


THE  LEGEND. 


he  could  not  answer  for  its  being  a  very  faithful  re¬ 
semblance,  as  Our  Lady  did  not  appear  often,  not  so 
often  as  people  supposed.  Then  folding  his  hands, 
and  looking  down,  he  proceeded  to  recount  the  his¬ 
tory  of  the  miraculous  apparition,  pretty  much  as 
follows. 

In  1531,  ten  years  and  four  months  after  the  con¬ 
quest  of  Mexico,  the  fortunate  Indian  whose  name 
was  Juan  Diego,  and  who  was  a  native  of  Cuatitlan, 
went  to  the  suburb  of  Tlaltelolco  to  learn  the  Christian 
doctrine  which  the  Franciscan  monks  taught  there. 
As  he  was  passing  by  the  mountain  of  Tepeyac,  the 
Holy  Virgin  suddenly  appeared  before  him  and  or¬ 
dered  him  to  go,  in  her  name,  to  the  Bishop,  the  Ylus- 
trisimo  D.  Fr.  Juan  de  Zumarraga,  and  to  make 
known  to  him  that  she  desired  to  have  a  place  of 
worship  erected,  in  her  honor,  on  that  spot.  The 
next  day  the  Indian  passed  by  the  same  place,  when 
again  the  Holy  Virgin  appeared  before  him,  and  de¬ 
manded  the  result  of  his  commission.  Juan  Diego 
replied,  that  in  spite  of  all  his  endeavors,  he  had  not 
been  able  to  obtain  an  audience  of  the  Bishop. 
“  Return,”  said  the  Virgin,  “  and  say  that  it  is  I, 
the  Virgin  Mary,  the  Mother  of  God,  who  sends 
thee.”  Juan  Diego  obeyed  the  Divine  orders,  yet 
still  the  Bishop  wmuld  not  give  him  credence,  merely 
desiring  him  to  bring  some  sign  or  token  of  the  Virgin’s 
will.  He  returned  with  this  message  on  the  twelfth 
of  December,  when,  for  the  third  time,  he  beheld  the 
apparition  of  the  Virgin.  She  now  commanded  him 
to  climb  to  the  top  of  the  barren  rock  of  Tepeyac, 
to  gather  the  roses  which  he  should  find  there,  and  to 


THE  LEGEND. 


113 


bring  them  to  her.  The  humble  messenger  obeyed, 
though  well  knowing,  that  on  that  spot  were  neither 
flowers  nor  any  trace  of  vegetation.  Nevertheless, 
he  found  the  roses,  which  he  gathered  and  brought 
to  the  Virgin  Mary,  who,  throwing  them  into  his 
tilma,  said,  “  Return  ;  show  these  to  the  Bishop,  and 
tell  him  that  these  are  the  credentials  of  thy  mission.” 
Juan  Diego  set  out  for  the  episcopal  house,  which 
stood  on  the  ground  occupied  by  the  Hospital,  now 
called  San  Juan  de  Dios,  and  when  he  found  himself 
in  presence  of  the  Prelate,  he  unfolded  his  tilma  to 
show  him  the  roses,  when  there  appeared  imprinted 
on  it,  the  miraculous  image  which  has  existed  for 
more  than  three  centuries. 

When  the  Bishop  beheld  it,  he  was  seized  with 
astonishment  and  awe,  and  conveyed  it  in  solemn 
procession  to  his  own  oratory,  and  shortly  after  this 
splendid  church  was  erected  in  honor  of  the  patron¬ 
ess  of  New  Spain.  “  From  all  parts  of  the  country,” 
continued  the  old  Bishop,  “  people  flock  in  crowds  to 
see  our  Lady  of  Guadalupe,  and  esteem  it  an  honor 
only  to  obtain  a  sight  of  her.  What  then  must  be 
my  happiness,  who  can  see  her  most  gracious  Majesty 
every  hour  and  every  minute  of  the  day  !  I  would 
not  quit  Guadalupe  for  any  other  part  of  the  world, 
nor  for  any  temptation  that  could  be  held  out  to 
me ;”  and  the  pious  man  remained  for  a  few  min¬ 
utes  as  if  wrapt  in  ecstasy.  That  he  was  sincere  in 
his  assertions,  there  could  be  no  doubt.  As  evening 
prayers  were  about  to  begin,  we  accompanied  him 
to  the  Cathedral.  An  old  woman  opened  the  door 
10* 


114 


GENUFLECTIONS. 


for  us  as  we  passed  out.  “  Have  my  chocolate 
ready  when  I  return,”  said  the  Bishop.  “  Si  padre- 
cito !  ”  said  the  old  woman,  dropping  upon  her 
knees,  in  which  posture  she  remained  for  some  min¬ 
utes.  As  we  passed  along  the  street,  the  sight  of  the 
reverend  man  had  the  same  effect ;  all  fell  on  their 
knees  as  he  passed,  precisely  as  if  the  Host  were  car¬ 
ried  by,  or  the  shock  of  an  earthquake  were  felt. 
Arrived  at  the  door  of  the  Cathedral,  he  gave  us  his 
hand,  or  rather  his  pastoral  amethyst  to  kiss. 

The  organ  sounded  fine  as  it  pealed  through  the 
old  Cathedral,  and  the  setting  sun  poured  his  rays 
in  through  the  Gothic  windows  with  a  rich  and 
glowing  light.  The  church  was  crowded  with  peo¬ 
ple  of  the  village,  but  especially  with  leperos,  count¬ 
ing  their  beads,  and  suddenly  in  the  midst  of  an 
“  Ave  Maria  Purisima,”  flinging  themselves  and  their 
rags  in  your  path  with  a  “  Por  el  amor  de  la  Santisi- 
ma  Virgen  !  ”  and  if  this  does  not  serve  their  pur¬ 
pose,  they  appeal  to  your  domestic  sympathies. 
From  men  they  entreat  relief  “By  the  life  of  the 
Sehorita.”  From  women,  “  By  the  life  of  the  little 
child  !”  From  children  it  is  “By  the  life  of  your 
mother  !  ”  And  a  mixture  of  pity  and  superstitious 
feeling  makes  most  people,  women  at  least,  draw  out 
their  purses. 

Count  C - a  has  promised  to  send  me  to-mor¬ 

row  a  box  of  mosquitoes’  eggs,  of  which  tortillas  are 
made,  which  are  considered  a  great  delicacy.  Con¬ 
sidering  mosquitoes  as  small  winged  cannibals,  I  was 
rather  shocked  at  the  idea,  but  they  pretend  that 


MOSQUITOES  EGGS. 


115 


these  which  are  from  the  Laguna,  are  a  superior  race 
of  creatures,  which  do  not  sting.  In  fact  the  Span¬ 
ish  historians  mention  that  the  Indians  used  to  eat 
bread  made  of  the  eggs  which  the  fly  called  agayacatl 
laid  on  the  rushes  of  the  lakes,  and  which  they  (the 
Spaniards)  found  very  palatable, 


LETTER.  THE  NINTH. 


Visits  from  Spaniards  —  Visit  from  tlie  President  —  Disquisition 

—  Poblana  Dress  —  Bernardo  the  Matador  —  Bull-Fight  extra¬ 
ordinary  —  Plaza  de  Toros  —  Fireworks  —  Portrait  of  C - n 

—  F  ancy-Ball  —  Dress  —  Costume  of  the  Patronesses  —  Beauty 
in  Mexico  —  Doctor’s  Visit  —  Cards  of  fair e  part  —  Marquesa 
de  San  Roman  —  Toilette  in  MorningVisits  of  Ceremony  —  At¬ 
tempt  at  Robbery  —  Murder  of  a  Consul  —  La  GUera  Rodriguez 

—  Dr.  Plan  —  M.  de  Humboldt  —  Anecdote  —  Former  Cus¬ 
toms. 


5th  January. 

Yesterday  (Sunday)  a  great  day  here  for  visiting 
after  mass  is  over.  We  had  a  concourse  of  Span¬ 
iards,  all  of  whom  seemed  anxious  to  know  whether 
or  not  I  intended  to  wear  a  Poblana  dress  at  the 
fancy  ball,  and  seemed  wonderfully  interested  about 
it.  Two  young  ladies  or  women  of  Puebla,  intro¬ 
duced  by  Senor - came  to  proffer  their  services 

in  giving  me  all  the  necessary  particulars,  and  dressed 
the  hair  of  Josefa,  a  little  Mexican  girl,  to  shew  me 
how  it  should  be  arranged  ;  mentioned  several  things 
still  wanting,  and  told  me  that  every  one  was  much 
pleased  at  the  idea  of  my  going  in  a  Poblana  dress. 
I  was  rather  surprised  that  every  one  should  trouble 
themselves  about  it.  About  twelve  o’clock  the  presi¬ 
dent,  in  full  uniform,  attended  by  his  aides-de-camp, 
paid  me  a  visit,  and  sat  about  half  an  hour,  very 


WARNINGS. 


117 


amiable,  as  usual.  Shortly  after  came  more  visits, 
and  just  as  we  supposed  they  were  all  concluded, 
and  were  going  to  dinner,  we  were  told  that  the 
secretary  of  state,  the  ministers  of  war  and  of  the 
interior,  and  others,  were  in  the  drawing-room.  And 
what  do  you  think  was  the  purport  of  their  visit?  To 
adjure  me,  by  all  that  was  most  alarming,  to  discard 
the  idea  of  making  my  appearance  in  a  Poblana  dress ! 
They  assured  us  that  Poblanas  generally  were  femmes 
de  rien,  that  they  wore  no  stockings,  and  that  the  wife  of 
the  Spanish  minister  should  by  no  means  assume,  even 
for  one  evening,  such  a  costume.  I  brought  in  my 
dresses,  showed  their  length  and  their  propriety,  but 
in  vain  ;  and,  in  fact,  as  to  their  being  in  the  right, 
there  could  be  no  doubt,  and  nothing  but  a  kind  mo¬ 
tive  could  have  induced  them  to  take  this  trouble ; 
so  I  yielded  with  a  good  grace,  and  thanked  the 
cabinet  council  for  their  timely  warning,  though  fear¬ 
ing,  that  in  this  land  of  procrastination,  it  would  be 
difficult  to  procure  another  dress  for  the  fancy-ball ; 
for  you  must  know,  that  our  luggage  is  still  toiling  its 
weary  way,  on  the  backs  of  mules,  from  Vera  Cruz 
to  the  capital.  They  had  scarcely  gone,  when  Senor 

- brought  a  message  from  several  of  the  principal 

ladies  here,  whom  we  do  not  even  know,  and  who  had 
requested,  that  as  a  stranger,  I  should  be  informed  of 
the  reasons  which  rendered  the  Poblana  dress  objec¬ 
tionable  in  this  country,  especially  on  any  public  occa¬ 
sion  like  this  ball.  I  was  really  thankful  for  my 
escape. 

Just  as  I  was  dressing  for  dinner,  a  note  was 
brought,  marked  reservada  (private)  the  contents  of 


118 


FIRST  MATADOR. 


which  appeared  to  me  more  odd  than  pleasant.  I 
have  since  heard,  however,  that  the  writer,  Don  Jose 
Arnaiz,  is  an  old  man,  and  a  sort  of  privileged  char¬ 
acter,  who  interferes  in  everything,  whether  it  con¬ 
cerns  him  or  not.  I  translate  it  for  your  benefit. 

“  The  dress  of  a  Poblana  is  that  of  a  woman  of  no 
character.  The  lady  of  the  Spanish  minister  is  a 
lady  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  However  much 
she  may  have  compromised  herself,  she  ought  neither 
to  go  as  a  Poblana,  nor  in  any  other  character  but 

her  own.  So  says  to  the  Senor  de  C - n,  Jose 

Arnaiz,  who  esteems  him  as  much  as  possible.” 

6th.  —  Early  this  morning,  this  being  the  day  of 
the  “  bull-fight  extraordinary,”  placards  were  put  up, 
as  I  understand,  on  all  the  corners  of  the  street,  an¬ 
nouncing  it,  accompanied  by  a  portrait  of  C - n ! 

Count  C - a  came  soon  after  breakfast,  accompa¬ 

nied  by  Bernardo,  the  first  matador,  whom  he  brought 
to  present  to  us.  I  send  you  the  white  satin  note  of 
invitation,  with  its  silver  lace  and  tassels,  to  show 
you  how  beautifully  they  can  get  up  such  things 
here.  The  matador  is  a  handsome  but  heavy-look¬ 
ing  man,  though  said  to  be  active  and  skilful.  To¬ 
morrow  I  shall  write  you  an  account  of  my  first  bull¬ 
fight- 

1th.  —  Yesterday,  towards  the  afternoon,  there 
were  great  fears  of  rain,  which  would  have  caused  a 
postponement  of  the  combat ;  however,  the  day 
cleared  up,  the  bulls  little  knowing  how  much  their 
fate  depended  upon  the  clouds.  A  box  in  the  cen¬ 
tre,  with  a  carpet  and  a  silver  lamp,  had  been  pre¬ 
pared  for  us,  but  we  went  with  our  friends,  the 


BULL-FIGHT. 


119 


C - as,  into  their  box  adjoining.  The  scene,  to 

me  especially,  who  have  not  seen  the  magnificence 
of  the  Madrid  arena,  was  animating  and  brilliant  in 
the  highest  degree.  Fancy  an  immense  amphithea¬ 
tre  with  four  great  tiers  of  boxes,  and  a  range  of  un¬ 
covered  seats  in  front ;  the  whole  crowded  almost  to 
suffocation ;  the  boxes  filled  with  ladies  in  full  dress, 
and  the  seats  below  by  gaily  dressed  and  most  en¬ 
thusiastic  spectators  —  two  military  bands  of  music, 
playing  beautiful  airs  from  the  operas ;  an  extraordi¬ 
nary  variety  of  brilliant  costumes,  all  lighted  up  by 
the  eternally  deep,  blue  sky  ;  ladies  and  peasants, 
and  officers  in  full  uniform,  and  you  may  conceive 
that  it  must  have  been  altogether  a  varied  and  curi¬ 
ous  spectacle. 

About  half  past  six,  a  flourish  of  trumpets  an¬ 
nounced  the  president,  who  came  in  uniform  with 
his  staff,  and  took  his  seat  to  the  music  of  “  Guerra  ! 
Guerra  !  I  bellici  trombi.”  Shortly  after  the  matadors 
and  picadors,  the  former  on  foot,  the  latter  on  horse¬ 
back,  made  their  entry,  saluting  all  round  the  arena, 
and  were  received  with  loud  cheering. 

Bernardo’s  dress  of  blue  and  silver  was  very  su¬ 
perb,  and  cost  him  five  hundred  dollars.  The  signal 
was  given  —  the  gates  were  thrown  open,  and  a  bull 
sprang  into  the  arena ;  not  a  great,  fierce-looking 
animal,  as  they  are  in  Spain,  but  a  small,  angry,  wild¬ 
looking  beast,  with  a  troubled  eye. 

“  Thrice  sounds  the  clarion  ;  lo  !  the  signal  falls, 

The  den  expands,  and  expectation  mute 
Gapes  round  the  silent  circle’s  peopled  walls. 

Bounds  with  one  lashing  spring  the  mighty  brute, 


120 


BULL-FIGHT. 


And,  wildly  staring,  spurns,  with  sounding  foot 
The  sand,  nor  blindly  rushes  on  his  foe  ; 

Here,  there,  he  points  his  threatening  front,  to  suit 
His  first  attack,  wide  waving  to  and  fro 
His  angry  tail ;  red  rolls  his  eye’s  dilated  glow.” 


A  picture  equally  correct  and  poetical.  That  first 
jjose  of  the  bull  is  superb  !  Pasta,  in  her  Medea,  did 
not  surpass  it.  Meanwhile  the  matadors  and  the 
banderilleros  shook  their  colored  scarfs  at  him  —  the 
picadors  poked  at  him  with  their  lances.  He  rushed 
at  the  first,  and  tossed  up  the  scarfs  which  they  threw 
at  him,  while  they  sprung  over  the  arena  ;  galloped 
after  the  others,  sticking  the  horses,  so  that  along 
with  their  riders  they  occasionally  rolled  in  the  dust; 
both,  howrever,  almost  instantly  recovering  their  equi¬ 
librium,  in  which  there  is  no  time  to  be  lost.  Then 
the  matadors  would  throw  fireworks,  crackers  adorn¬ 
ed  with  streaming  ribbons,  which  stuck  on  his  horns, 
and,  as  he  tossed  his  head,  enveloped  him  in  a  blaze 
of  fire.  Occasionally  the  picador  would  catch  hold 
of  the  bull’s  tail,  and  passing  it  under  his  own  right 
leg,  wheel  his  horse  round,  force  the  bull  to  gallop 
backwards,  and  throw  him  on  his  face. 

Maddened  with  pain,  streaming  with  blood,  stuck 
full  of  darts,  and  covered  with  fireworks,  the  unfor¬ 
tunate  beast  went  galloping  round  and  round,  plung¬ 
ing  blindly  at  man  and  horse,  and  frequently  trying 
to  leap  the  barrier,  but  driven  back  by  the  waving 
hats  and  shouting  of  the  crowd.  At  last,  as  he  stood 
at  bay,  and  nearly  exhausted,  the  matador  ran  up  and 
gave  him  the  mortal  blow,  considered  a  peculiar  proof 
of  skill.  The  bull  stopped,  as  if  he  felt  that  his  hour 


FIREWORKS. 


121 


were  come,  staggered,  made  a  few  plunges  at  nothing, 
and  fell.  A  finishing  stroke,  and  the  bull  expired. 

The  trumpets  sounded,  the  music  played.  Four 
horses  galloped  in  tied  to  a  yoke,  to  which  the  bull 
was  fastened,  and  swiftly  dragged  out  of  the  arena. 
This  last  part  had  a  fine  effect,  reminding  one  of  a 
Roman  sacrifice.  In  a  similar  manner,  eight  bulls 
were  done  to  death.  The  scene  is  altogether  fine, 
the  address  amusing,  but  the  wounding  and  torment¬ 
ing  of  the  bull  is  sickening,  and  as  here,  the  tips  of 
his  horns  are  blunted,  one  has  more  sympathy  with 
him  than  with  his  human  adversaries.  It  cannot  be 
good  to  accustom  a  people  to  such  bloody  sights. 

Yet  let  me  confess,  that  though  at  first  I  covered 
my  face  and  could  not  look,  little  by  little  I  grew  so 
much  interested  in  the  scene,  that  I  could  not  take 
my  eyes  off  it,  and  I  can  easily  understand  the  plea¬ 
sure  taken  in  these  barbarous  diversions,  by  those  ac¬ 
customed  to  them  from  childhood. 

The  bull-fight  having  terminated  amidst  loud  and 
prolonged  cheering  from  the  crowd,  a  tree  of  fire¬ 
works,  erected  in  the  midst  of  the  arena,  was  lighted, 
and  amidst  a  blaze  of  colored  light,  appeared,  first 
the  Arms  of  the  Republic,  the  Eagle  and  Nopal ; 
and  above,  a  full-length  portrait  of  C - n  !  repre¬ 

sented  by  a  figure  in  a  blue  and  silver  uniform. 
Down  fell  the  Mexican  eagle  with  a  crash  at  his  feet, 
while  he  remained  burning  brightly,  and  lighted  up 
by  fireworks,  in  the  midst  of  tremendous  shouts  and 
cheers.  Thus  terminated  this  “funcion  extrnordi- 
?i aria  and  when  all  was  over,  we  went  to  dine  at 


VOL.  I. 


11 


122 


FANCY  BALL. 


Countess  C - a's,  had  some  music  in  the  evening, 

and  afterwards  returned  home  tolerably  tired. 

10th. — The  fancy-ball  took  place  last  evening  in 
the  theatre,  and  although,  owing  either  to  the  change 
of  climate,  or  to  the  dampness  of  the  house,  I  have 
been  obliged  to  keep  my  room  since  the  day  of  the 
bull-fight,  and  to  decline  a  pleasant  dinner  at  the 
English  Minister’s,  I  thought  it  advisable  to  make  my 
appearance  there.  Having  discarded  the  costume  of 
the  light-headed  Poblanas,  I  adopted  that  of  a  virtuous 
Roman  Contadina,  simple  enough  to  be  run  up  in  one 
day  ;  a  white  skirt,  red  boddice  with  blue  ribbons, 
and  lace  veil  put  on  square  behind ;  apropos  to 
which  head-dress,  it  is  very  common  amongst  the 
Indians  to  wear  a  piece  of  stuff  folded  square,  and 
laid  flat  upon  the  head,  in  this  Italian  fashion  ;  and 
as  it  is  not  fastened,  I  cannot  imagine  how  they  trot 
along,  without  letting  it  fall. 

We  went  to  the  theatre  about  eleven,  and  found 
the  entree ,  though  crowded  with  carriages,  very  quiet 
and  orderly.  The  coup  d’ceil  on  entering  was  ex¬ 
tremely  gay,  and  certainly  very  amusing.  The  ball, 
given  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  was  under  the  pa¬ 
tronage  of  the  ladies  C - a,  G - a,  Guer - a, 

and  others,  but  such  was  the  original  dirtiness  and 
bad  condition  of  the  theatre,  that  to  make  it  decent, 
they  had  expended  nearly  all  the  proceeds.  As  it 
was,  and  considering  the  various  drawbacks,  the  ar¬ 
rangements  were  very  good.  Handsome  lustres  had 
superseded  the  lanterns  with  their  tallow  candles,  the 
boxes  were  hung  with  bright  silk  draperies,  and  a 
canopy  of  the  same  drawn  up  in  the  form  of  a  tent, 


FANCY  BALL. 


123 


covered  the  whole  ball-room.  The  orchestra  also 
was  tolerably  good.  The  boxes  were  filled  with  la¬ 
dies,  presenting  an  endless  succession  of  China  crape 
shawls  of  every  color  and  variety,  and  a  monotony  of 
diamond  ear-rings  ;  while  in  the  theatre  itself,  if  ever 
a  ball  might  be  termed  a  fancy-ball,  this  was  that 
ball.  Of  Swiss  peasants,  Scotch  peasants,  and  all 
manner  of  peasants  there  were  a  goodly  assortment ; 
as  also  of  Turks,  Highlanders,  and  men  in  plain 
clothes.  But  being  public,  it  was  not,  of  course, 
select,  and  amongst  many  well-dressed  people,  there 
were  hundreds  who,  assuming  no  particular  charac¬ 
ter,  had  exerted  their  imagination  to  appear  merely 
fanciful,  and  had  succeeded.  One,  for  example, 
would  have  a  scarlet  satin  petticoat,  and  over  it  a 
pink  satin  robe,  with  scarlet  ribbons  to  match. 
Another,  a  short  blue  satin  dress,  beneath  which  ap¬ 
peared  a  handsome  purple  satin  petticoat ;  the  whole 
trimmed  with  yellow  bows.  They  looked  like  the 
signs  of  the  zodiac.  All  had  diamonds  and  pearls  ; 
old  and  young,  and  middle-aged  ;  including  little 
children,  of  whom  there  were  many. 

The  lady-patronesses  were  very  elegant.  The 

Senora  de  Gu - a,  wore  a  head-dress  in  the  form 

of  a  net,  entirely  composed  of  large  pearls  and  dia¬ 
monds  ;  in  itself  a  fortune.  The  Senora  de  C - a, 

as  Madame  de  la  Valliere,  in  black  velvet  and  dia¬ 
monds,  looking  pretty,  as  usual,  but  the  cold  of  the 
house  obliged  her  to  muffle  up  in  furs  and  boas,  and 

so  to  hide  her  dress.  The  Senora  de  G - a,  as 

Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  in  black  velvet  and  pearls, 
with  a  splendid  diamond  necklace,  was  extremely 


124 


FANCY  BALL. 


handsome  ;  she  wore  a  cap,  introduced  by  the  Al- 
bini,  in  the  character  of  the  Scottish  Queen,  but 
which,  though  pretty  in  itself,  is  a  complete  deviation 
from  the  beautiful  simplicity  of  the  real  Queen-Mary 
cap.  She  certainly  looked  as  if  she  had  arrived  at 
her  prime  without  knowing  Fotheringay. 

Various  ladies  were  introduced  to  me,  who  are  only 
waiting  to  receive  our  cards  of  faire  part,  before 
they  call.  Amongst  the  girls,  the  best  dresses  that  I 

observed  were  the  Senoritas  de  F - d,  the  one 

handsome,  with  the  figure  and  face  of  a  Spanish 
peasant ;  the  other  much  more  graceful  and  intelli¬ 
gent-looking,  though  with  less  actual  beauty.  How¬ 
ever,  so  many  of  the  most  fashionable  people  were  in 
their  boxes,  that  I  am  told  this  is  not  a  good  occasion 
on  which  to  judge  of  the  beauty  or  style  of  toilette  of 
the  Mexican  women  ;  besides  which,  these  fancy 
balls  being  uncommon,  they  would  probably  look 
better  in  their  usual  costume.  Upon  the  whole,  I 
saw  few  striking  beauties,  little  grace,  and  very  little 
good  dancing.  There  was  too  much  velvet  and 
satin,  and  the  dresses  were  too  much  loaded.  The 
diamonds,  though  superb,  were  frequently  ill-set. 
The  dresses,  compared  with  the  actual  fashion,  were 
absurdly  short,  and  the  feet,  naturally  smally  were 
squeezed  into  shoes  still  smaller,  which  is  destructive 
to  grace,  whether  in  walking  or  dancing. 

I  saw  many  superb  pairs  of  eyes,  and  beautiful 
hands  and  arms,  perfect  models  for  a  sculptor,  the 
hands  especially  ;  and  very  few  good  complexions. 

There  was  a  young  gentleman  pointed  out  to  me, 
as  being  in  the  costume  of  a  Highlander !  How  I 


FANCY  BALL. 


125 


wished  that  Sir  William  Cumming,  Macleod  of  Mac- 
leod,  or  some  veritable  Highland  chieftain  could  sud¬ 
denly  have  appeared  to  annihilate  him,  and  show  the 
people  here  what  the  dress  really  is  !  There  were 
various  unfortunate  children,  bundled  up  in  long 
satin  or  velvet  dresses,  covered  with  blonde  and 
jewels,  and  with  artificial  flowers  in  their  hair. 

The  room  was  excessively  cold,  nor  was  the  an¬ 
cient  odor  of  the  theatre  entirely  obliterated  ;  nor 
indeed  do  I  think  that  all  the  perfumes  of  Arabia 
would  overpower  it.  Having  walked  about,  and 
admired  all  the  varieties  of  fancy  costumes,  I, 

being  nearly  frozen,  went  to  the  Countess  C - a’s 

box  on  the  pit  tier,  and  enveloped  myself  in  a  cloak. 
They  pointed  out  the  most  distinguished  persons  in 

the  boxes,  amongst  others  the  family  of  the  E - s, 

who  seem  very  handsome,  with  brilliant  colors  and 
fine  teeth.  We  remained  until  three  in  the  morning 
and  declined  all  offers  of  refreshment,  though,  after 
all,  a  cup  of  hot  chocolate  would  not  have  been 
amiss.  There  was  supper  somewhere,  but  I  believe 
attended  only  by  gentlemen.  I  had  the  satisfaction, 
in  passing  out,  to  see  numerous  ladies  on  their  part¬ 
ners’  arms,  and  all  bedizened  as  they  were  with 
finerj%  stop  under  the  lamps,  and  light  their  cigars,  — 
cool  and  pretty. 

1 6th.  —  I  have  passed  nearly  a  week  in  a  slight 
fever ;  shivering  and  hot.  I  was  attended  by  a  doc¬ 
tor  of  the  country,  who  seems  the  most  harmless 
creature  imaginable.  Every  day  he  felt  my  pulse, 
and  gave  me  some  little  innocent  mixture.  But  what 
he  especially  gave  me,  was  a  lesson  in  polite  conver- 
ll* 


126 


MEXICAN  DOCTOR. 


sation.  Every  clay,  we  had  the  following  dialogue, 
as  he  rose  to  take  leave 

“  Madam  1  (this  by  the  bed-side)  I  am  at  your 
service.” 

“  Many  thanks,  sir.” 

“  Madam  !  (this  at  the  foot  of  the  bed)  know  me 
for  your  most  humble  servant.” 

“  Good  morning,  sir.” 

“  Madam  !  (here  he  stopped  beside  a  table)  I  kiss 
your  feet.” 

“  Sir,  I  kiss  your  hand.” 

“  Madam !  (this  near  the  door)  my  poor  house, 
and  all  in  it,  myself,  though  useless,  all  I  have,  is 
yours.” 

“  Many  thanks,  sir.” 

He  turns  round  and  opens  the  door,  again  turning 
round  as  he  does  so, 

“Adieu,  Madam  !  your  servant.” 

“  Adieu,  sir.” 

He  goes  out,  partly  re-opens  the  door,  and  puts  in 
his  head, 

“  Good  morning,  Madam  !  ” 

This  civility,  so  lengthened  out,  as  if  parting  were 
such  “  sweet  sorrow,”  between  doctor  and  patient, 
seems  rather  misplaced.  It  is  here  considered  more 
polite  to  say  Sehorita  than  Sehora,  even  to  married 
women,  and  the  lady  of  the  house  is  generally  called 
by  her  servants,  “  La  Nina,”  the  little  girl,  even 
though  she  be  over  eighty.  This  last  custom  is  still 
more  common  in  Havana,  where  the  old  negresses, 
who  have  always  lived  in  the  family,  and  are  accus¬ 
tomed  to  call  their  young  mistress  by  this  name, 
never  change,  whatever  be  her  age. 


DIAMONDS. 


127 


I  have  received  a  packet  of  letters  which  have 
done  me  more  good  than  the  old  doctor’s  visits. 
The  captain  left  us  yesterday,  and  took  charge  of  a 
box  of  chocolate  stamped  with  various  figures,  and 
of  some  curious  dulces  for  you.  Our  cards,  giving 
the  Mexicans  the  tardy  information  of  our  arrival, 
were  sent  out  some  days  ago.  I  copy  one,  that  you 
may  have  a  specimen  of  the  style,  which  looks  for 
all  the  world  like  that  of  a  shop-advertisement,  pur¬ 
porting  that  Don - —  makes  wigs,  dresses  hair,  and 

so  forth,  while  Doha - washes  lace,  and  does  up 

fine  linen. 

“  Don  A - C - de  la  B - ,  Enviado  Extra- 

ordinario  y  Ministro  Plenipotenciario  de  S.  M.  C. 
cerca  de  la  Republica  Mexicana  ;  y  su  Esposa,  Doha 

F -  E -  C -  de  la  B - ;  Participan  a  v 

su  Llegada  a  este  Capital,  y  se  ofrecen  a  su  disposi- 
cion,  en  la  Plazuela  de  Buenavista,  No.  2.”  1 

18th.  —  For  these  last  few  days,  our  rooms  have 
been  filled  with  visiters,  and  my  eyes  are  scarcely  yet 
accustomed  to  the  display  of  diamonds  and  pearls, 
silks,  satins,  blondes  and  velvets,  in  which  the  ladies 
have  paid  their  first  visits  of  etiquette.  A  few  of  the 
dresses  I  shall  record  for  your  benefit,  not  as  being 
richer  than  the  others,  but  that  I  happen  to  recollect 
them  best.  —  The  Marquesa  de  San  Roman,  an  old 
lady  who  has  travelled  a  great  deal  in  Europe,  and  is 

1  Don  A -  C -  de  la  B - ,  Envoy  Extraordinary  and 

Minister  Plenipotentiary  from  H.  C.  M.  ;  and  his  Lady,  Dona 

F - E - C - de  la  B - ;  Inform  you  of  their  arrival  in 

this  Capital,  and  put  themselves  at  your  disposal,  in  the  street  of 
Buenavista  —  No  2. 


128 


DRESSES. 


very  distinguished  for  talents  and  information.  She 
has  the  Grand  Cross  of  Maria  Louisa  of  Spain,  is  of 
a  noble  Venetian  family,  and  Aunt  to  the  Duke  of 
Canizzaro.  Her  dress  was  a  very  rich  black  Genoa 
velvet,  black  blonde  mantilla,  and  a  very  splendid 
parure  of  diamonds.  She  seems  in  exceedingly 
delicate  health.  She  and  her  contemporaries  are 
fast  fading  away,  the  last  records  of  the  days  of  Vice¬ 
royalty.  In  their  place  a  new  race  have  started  up, 
whose  manners  and  appearance  have  little  of  the 
vieille  cour  about  them  ;  chiefly,  it  is  said,  wives  of 
military  men,  sprung  from  the  hot-beds  of  the  Revo¬ 
lutions,  ignorant  and  full  of  pretension  as  parvenus 
who  have  risen  by  chance  and  not  by  merit,  must  be. 
I  continue  my  list  after  the  fashion  of  the  Court 
Journal. 

Countess  de  S - o.  Under  dress  of  rich  violet 

satin,  gown  of  black  blonde,  mantilla  of  black  blonde, 
diamond  ear-rings,  five  or  six  large  diamond  brooches 
fastening  the  mantilla,  necklace  of  large  pearls  and 

diamond  sevigne.  The  Senora  S - .  Dress  of 

white  satin,  gown  of  white  blonde,  white  blonde 
mantilla,  pearls,  diamonds,  and  white  satin  shoes. 

Madame  S - r,  black  velvet  dress,  white  blonde 

mantilla,  pearls,  diamonds,  short  sleeves  and  white 

satin  shoes.  The  Senora  de  A - d.  Fawn-colored 

satin  dress,  black  blonde  mantilla,  diamonds,  and 
black  satin  shoes. 

The  Senora  B - a,  the  wife  of  a  General,  ex¬ 

tremely  rich,  and  who  has  the  handsomest  house  in 
Mexico.  Dress  of  purple  velvet,  embroidered  all 
over  with  flowers  of  white  silk,  short  sleeves,  and 


DRESSES. 


129 


embroidered  corsage  ;  white  satin  shoes  and  has  a 
jour  ;  a  deep  flounce  of  Mechlin  appearing  below  the 
velvet  dress,  which  was  short.  A  mantilla  of  black 
blonde,  fastened  by  three  diamond  aigrettes.  Dia¬ 
mond  ear-rings  of  extraordinary  size.  A  diamond 
necklace  of  immense  value,  and  beautifully  set.  A 
necklace  of  pear  pearls,  valued  at  twenty  thousand 
dollars.  A  diamond  sevigne.  A  gold  chain  going 
three  times  round  the  neck,  and  touching  the  knees. 
On  every  finger  two  diamond  rings,  like  little 
watches.  As  no  other  dress  was  equally  magnifi¬ 
cent,  with  her  I  conclude  my  description,  only  ob¬ 
serving  that  no  Mexican  lady  has  yet  paid  me  her 
first  morning  visit  without  diamonds.  They  have 
few  opportunities  for  displaying  their  jewels,  so  that 
were  it  not  on  the  occasion  of  some  such  morning 
visit  of  etiquette,  the  diamonds  would  lie  in  their 
cases,  wasting  their  serene  rays  in  darkness. 

Last  night  an  attempt  was  made  to  break  into  the 
house,  but  our  fine  little  bull-dog  Hercules,  a  present 

from  Senor  A - d,  kept  his  ground  so  well,  and 

barked  so  furiously,  that  the  servants  were  awakened, 
even  the  porter,  the  soundest  slumberer  amongst 
them  ;  and  the  robbers  escaped  without  doing 
further  mischief  than  inflicting  a  severe  wound  on 
the  poor  animal’s  paw,  which  has  made  him  for  the 
present  quite  lame. 

Apropos  to  which  matters,  a  most  cruel  murder,  of 
which  I  have  just  been  hearing  the  particulars,  was 
committed  not  very  long  ago,  in  this  neighborhood, 

upon  Mr.  M - ,  the  Swiss  Consul.  He  was  also  a 

leather-merchant,  and  one  morning  having  sent  out 


130 


MURDER. 


his  porter  on  some  commission,  a  carriage  drove  up 
to  the  door,  and  three  gentlemen  presented  them¬ 
selves  to  Mr.  M - ,  requesting  to  speak  to  him  on 

business.  He  begged  them  to  walk  in  ;  and  there 
entered  a  general  in  uniform,  a  younger  officer,  and 

a  monk.  Mr.  M - requested  to  be  informed  of  their 

business,  when  suddenly  the  general,  seizing  hold  of 
him,  whilst  the  others  went  to  secure  the  door, 
exclaimed,  “  we  have  not  come  to  hear  about  your 
goods,  we  want  your  money.”  The  poor  man, 
astounded  at  perceiving  the  nature  of  his  customers, 
assured  them  he  kept,  but  little  money  in  the  house, 
but  proceeded  instantly  to  open  his  private  drawers, 
and  empty  their  contents,  amounting,  in  fact,  to  a 
trifle  of  some  few  hundred  dollars.  Finding  that  he 
had  indeed  no  more  to  give  them,  they  prepared  to 
depart,  when  the  monk  said,  “  we  must  kill  him,  or 
he  will  recognise  us.”  “  No,”  said  the  officers, 
“  Leave  him,  and  come  along.  There  is  no  danger.” 
“  Go  on,”  said  the  monk,  “  I  follow  ;”  and,  turning 
back,  stabbed  the  Consul  to  the  heart.  The  three 
then  reentered  the  carriage,  and  drove  off  at  full 
speed.  A  few  minutes  afterwards  the  porter  return¬ 
ing,  found  his  master  bathed  in  blood,  and  rushing 
out  to  a  neighboring  gambling-house,  gave  the 
alarm.  Several  gentlemen  ran  to  his  assistance, 
but  he  died  an  hour  after,  having  given  all  the  parti¬ 
culars  of  the  dress  and  appearance  of  his  murderers, 
and  that  of  their  carriage.  By  these  tokens  they 
were  soon  afterwards  discovered,  and,  by  the  energy  of 

the  Governor,  then  Count  C - a,  they  were  arrested 

and  hanged  upon  the  trees  in  front  of  our  house, 


ZEAL. 


131 


together  with  a  real  Mexican  Colonel,  who  had  kindly- 
lent  the  ruffians  his  carriage  for  the  occasion.  It  is 
seldom  that  crime  here  meets  with  so  prompt  a 
punishment. 

Our  friend,  Count  C - a,  when  Governor  of 

Mexico,  was  celebrated  for  his  energy  in  “  el persigui- 
miento  de  los  ladrones ,”  (persecuting  the  robbers,)  as 
it  is  called.  It  is  said  that  upon  one  occasion  his 
zeal  carried  him  rather  far.  Various  robberies 
having  been  committed  in  the  city,  he  had  received 
a  hint  from  the  government,  that  the  escape  of  the 
perpetrators  was  considered  by  them  as  a  proof  that 
he  had  grown  lukewarm  in  the  public  service.  A 
few  days  afterwards,  riding  in  the  streets,  he  per¬ 
ceived  a  notorious  robber,  who,  the  moment  he 
observed  himself  recognised,  darted  down  another 
street  with  the  swiftness  of  an  arrow.  The  Governor 
pursued  him  on  horseback  ;  the  robber  made  all 
speed  towards  the  Square,  and  rushed  into  the 
sanctuary  of  the  Cathedral.  The  Count  galloped 
in  after  him,  and  dragged  him  from  his  place  of  refuge 
near  the  altar.  This  violation  of  the  church’s 
sanctity  was,  of  course,  severely  reprimanded,  but, 
as  the  Governor  remarked,  they  could  no  longer 
accuse  him  of  want  of  zeal  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duty. 

He  took  as  his  porter  the  captain  of  a  gang  of 
robbers,  ordering  him  to  stand  at  the  door,  and  to 
seize  any  of  his  former  acquaintances  who  might 
pass,  his  own  pardon  depending  on  his  conduct  in 
this  respect.  Riding  out  one  day  to  his  country 
place,  with  his  lady,  this  man  accompanying  them  as 


132 


LA  GUERA. 


a  servant,  they  were  overtaken  by  a  messenger,  who 
desired  the  return  of  the  Count  to  the  city,  upon 
some  urgent  and  important  business.  It  was  already 
dusk,  yet  the  Count,  trusting  to  the  honor  of  the 
robber,  ordered  him  to  conduct  his  lady  to  the  Haci¬ 
enda,  and  she  alone  on  horseback,  with  this  alarming 
guide,  performed  her  journey  in  safety. 

Before  I  conclude  this  letter,  I  must  tell  you  that  I 
received  a  visit  this  morning  from  a  very  remarkable 
character,  well  known  here  by  the  name  of  La 
Gilcra  (the  fair)  Rodriguez,  said  to  have  been  many 
years  ago  celebrated  by  Humboldt  as  the  most  beautiful 
woman  he  had  seen  in  the  whole  course  of  his  travels. 
Considering  the  lapse  of  time  which  has  passed  since 
that  distinguished  traveller  visited  these  parts,  I  was 
almost  astonished  when  her  card  was  sent  up  with  a 
request  for  admission,  and  still  more  so  to  find  that 
in  spite  of  years  and  of  the  furrows  which  it  pleases 
Time  to  plough  in  the  loveliest  faces,  La  Giiera  re¬ 
tains  a  profusion  of  fair  curls  without  one  gray  hair, 
a  set  of  beautiful  white  teeth,  very  fine  eyes,  and 
great  vivacity. 

Her  sister,  the  Marquesa  de  Juluapa,  lately  dead, 
is  said  to  have  been  also  a  woman  of  great  talent 
and  extraordinary  conversational  powers ;  she  is 
another  of  the  ancient  noblesse  who  has  dropped  off. 
The  physician  who  attended  her  in  her  last  illness,  a 
Frenchman  of  the  name  of  Plan,  in  great  repute  here, 
has  sent  in  a  bill  to  her  executors  of  ten  thousand 
dollars,  which,  although  it  does  not  excite  any  great 
astonishment,  the  family  refuse  to  pay,  and  there  is  a 
lawsuit  in  consequence.  The  extortions  of  medical 


M.  D£  HUMBOLDT. 


133 


men  in  Mexico,  especially  of  foreign  physicians,  have 
arrived  at  such  a  height,  that  a  person  of  moderate 
fortune  must  hesitate  before  putting  himself  into  their 
hands.1  A  rich  old  lady  in  delicate  health,  and  with 
no  particular  complaint,  is  a  surer  fund  for  them  than 
a  silver  mine. 

I  found  La  Giiera  very  agreeable,  and  a  perfect 
living  chronicle.  She  is  married  to  her  third  hus¬ 
band,  and  had  three  daughters,  all  celebrated  beau¬ 
ties  ;  the  Countess  de  Regia,  who  died  in  New  York, 
and  was  buried  in  the  cathedral  there  ;  the  Marquesa 
de  Guadalupe,  also  dead,  and  the  Marquesa  de 

A - a,  now  a  handsome  widow.  We  spoke  of 

Humboldt,  and  talking  of  herself  as  of  a  third  person, 
she  related  to  me  all  the  particulars  of  his  first  visit, 
and  his  admiration  of  her  ;  that  she  was  then  very 
young,  though  married,  and  the  mother  of  two  child¬ 
ren,  and  that  when  he  came  to  visit  her  mother,  she 
was  sitting  sewing  in  a  corner  where  the  Baron  did 
not  perceive  her ;  until  talking  very  earnestly  on  the 
subject  of  cochineal,  he  inquired  if  he  could  visit  a 
certain  district  where  there  was  a  plantation  of  nopals. 
“  To  be  sure,”  said  La  Giiera  from  her  corner  ;  “  we 
can  take  M.  de  Humboldt  there whereupon  he 
first  perceiving  her,  stood  amazed,  and  at  length  ex¬ 
claimed,  “  Valgame  Dios  !  who  is  that  girl  ?”  After¬ 
wards  he  was  constantly  with  her,  and  more  captiva- 

1  Tlie  Mexican  Government  has  since  taken  this  matter  into 
consideration,  and  is  making  regulations  which  render  it  neces¬ 
sary  for  a  medical  man  to  possess  a  certain  degree  of  knowledge, 
and  to  have  resided  a  specified  time  in  the  city  before  he  is  per¬ 
mitted  to  practise  ;  they  are  also  occupied  in  fixing  a  certain  sum 
for  medical  attendance. 

VOL.  i.  12 


134 


ANECDOTE. 


ted  it  is  said  by  her  wit  than  by  her  beauty  ;  consid¬ 
ering  her  a  sort  of  western  Madame  de  Stael ;  all 
which  leads  me  to  suspect  that  the  grave  traveller 
was  considerably  under  the  influence  of  her  fascina¬ 
tions,  and  that  neither  mines  nor  mountains,  geogra¬ 
phy  nor  ge.ology,  petrified  shells  nor  alpenkalkstein , 
had  occupied  him  to  the  exclusion  of  a  slight  stratum 
of  flirtation.  It  is  a  comfort  to  think  that  “  some¬ 
times  even  the  great  Humboldt  nods.” 

One  of  La  Guera’s  stories  is  too  original  to  be  lost. 
A  lady  of  high  rank  having  died  in  Mexico,  her  rela¬ 
tives  undertook  to  commit  her  to  her  last  resting- 
place,  habited  according  to  the  then  prevailing  fash¬ 
ion,  in  her  mos.t  magnificent  dress,  that  which  she 
had  worn-at  her  wedding.  This  dress  was  a  wonder 
of  luxury,  even  in  Mexico.  It  was  entirely  composed 
of  the  finest  lace,  and  the  flounces  were  made  of  a 
species  of  point  which  cost  fifty  dollars  a  vara,  (the 
Mexican  yard.)  Its  equal  was  unknown.  It  was 
also  ornamented  and  looped  up  at  certain  intervals 
with  bows  of  ribbon  very  richly  embroidered  in  gold. 

In  this  dress,  the  Condesa  de - was  laid  in  her 

coffin,  thousands  of  dear  friends  crowding  to  view  her 
beautiful  costume  de  mart,  and  at  length  she  was 
placed  in  her  tomb,  the  key  of  which  was  entrusted 
to  the  sacristan. 

From  the  tomb  to  the  opera  is  a  very  abrupt  tran¬ 
sition  ;  nevertheless,  both  have  a  share  in  this  story. 
A  company  of  French  dancers  appeared  in  Mexico, 
a  twentieth-rate  ballet,  and  the  chief  danseuse  was  a 
little  French  damsel,  remarkable  for  the  shortness  of 
her  robes,  her  coquetry,  and  her  astonishing  pirou- 


ANECDOTE. 


135 


ettes.  On  the  flight  of  a  favorite  ballet,  Mademoi¬ 
selle  Pauline  made  her  entree  in  a  succession  of 
pirouettes,  and  poising  on  her  toe,  looked  round  for 
approbation,  when  a  sudden  thrill  of  horror,  accom¬ 
panied  by  a  murmur  of  indignation,  pervaded  the 
assembly.  Mademoiselle  Pauline  was  equipped  in 
the  very  dress  in  which  the  defunct  countess  had  been 
buried  !  Lace,  point  flounces,  gold  ribbons  ;  impos¬ 
sible  to  mistake  it.  Hardly  had  the  curtain  dropped, 
when  the  little  danseuse  found  herself  surrounded  by 
competent  authorities,  questioning  her  as  to  where 
and  how  she  had  obtained  her  dress.  She  replied 
that  she  had  bought  it  at  an  extravagant  price  from  a 
French  modiste  in  the  city.  She  had  rifled  no  tomb, 
but  honestly  paid  down  golden  ounces,  in  exchange 
for  her  lawful  property.  To  the  modiste’s  went  the 
officers  of  justice.  She  also  pleaded  innocent.  She 
had  bought  it  of  a  man  who  had  brought  it  to  her  for 
sale,  and  had  paid  him  much  more  than  a  poids  d’&r , 
as  indeed  it  was  worth.  By  dint  of  further  investi¬ 
gation,  the  man  was  identified,  and  proved  to  be  the 
sacristan  of  San  — — .  .  Short-sighted  sacristan  ! 
He  was  arrested  and  thrown  into  prison,  and  one 
benefit  resulted  from  his  cupidity,  since  in  order  to 
avoid  throwing  temptation  in  the  way  of  future  sa¬ 
cristans,  it  became  the  custom,  after  the  body  had 
lain  in  state  for  some  time  in  magnificent  robes,  to 
substitute  a  plain  dress  previous  to  placing  the  coffin 
in  the  vault.  A  poor  vanity  after  all. 

I  was  told  by  a  lady  here,  that  on  the  death  of  her 
grandchild,  he  was  not  only  enveloped  in  rich  lace, 
but  the  diamonds  of  three  Condesas  and  four  Mar- 


136 


OLD  CUSTOM. 


quesas  were  collected  together  and  put  on  him, 
necklaces,  bracelets,  rings,  brooches  and  tiaras,  to 
the  value  of  several  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The 
street  was  hung  with  draperies,  and  a  band  of  music 
played,  whilst  he  was  visited  by  all  the  titled  rela¬ 
tives  of  the  family  in  his  dead  splendor,  poor  little 
baby  !  Yet  his  mother  mourned  for  him  as  for  all 
her  blighted  hopes,  and  the  last  scion  of  a  noble 
house.  Grief  shows  itself  in  different  ways  ;  yet  one 
might  think  that  when  it  seeks  consolation  in  display, 
it  must  be  less  profound  than  when  it  shuns  it. 


LETTER  THE  TENTH. 


San  Fernando  —  House  of  Perez  de  Galvez  —  A  removal — Size 
of  the  Houses — Old  Monastery  —  View  by  Sunset  — Evening 
Visits  —  Mexican  Etiquette  — -  A  Night-view  from  the  Azotea 

—  Tacubaya  —  Magueys — Making  of  Pulque  —  Organos  and 

Nopal  —  Environs  of  Mexico  —  Miracle — Hacienda — View 
from  the  Countess  C - a’s  House  —  Arzobispado  —  Anecdote 

—  Comparative  view  of  Beauty — -Indians — Rancheritas  — 
Mexican  Cordiality  —  Masses  for  the  Dead — San  Augustin  — 
Form  of  Invitation  —  Death  of  a  Senator  —  A  Mistake. 

San  Fernando,  25th  February. 

We  have  been  engaged  for  some  time  past  in  the 
disagreeable  occupations,  first  of  finding,  then  of  fur¬ 
nishing,  and  lastly  of  entering  into  a  new  house. 
We  were  very  anxious  to  hire  that  of  the  Marquesa 
de  Juluapa,  which  is  pretty,  well  situated,  and  has  a 
garden  ;  but  the  agent,  after  making  us  wait  for  his  de¬ 
cision  more  than  a  fortnight,  informed  us  that  he  had 
determined  to  sell  it.  House-rent  is  extremely  high ; 
nothing  tolerable  to  be  had  under  two  thousand  five 
hundred  dollars  per  annum,  unfurnished.  There  is 
also  an  extraordinary  custom  of  paying  a  sum  called 
traspaso,  sometimes  to  the  amount  of  fourteen  thou¬ 
sand  dollars,  taking  your  chance  of  having  the  money 
repaid  you  by  the  next  person  who  takes  the  house. 
We  next  endeavored  to  procure  a  house  not  far  from 
our  present  residence,  a  palace  in  fact,  which  I  men¬ 
tioned  to  you  before  as  having  been  occupied  at  one 
12* 


138 


HOUSES. 


time  by  Santa  Anna,  and  at  another  by  the  English 
Legation,  but  the  present  proprietor  cannot  be  pre¬ 
vailed  upon  to  let  it.  It  has  a  beautiful  garden  and 
olive  ground,  but  is  not  a  very  secure  abode,  except 
with  a  guard  of  soldiers.  We  at  length  came  to  the 
determination  of  taking  up  our  quarters  here.  It  is 

a  handsome  new  house,  built  by  General  G - ,  and 

has  the  fault  of  being  only  too  large.  Built  in  a 
square,  like  all  Mexican  houses,  the  ground  floor, 
which  has  a  stone-paved  court,  with  a  fountain  in  the 
middle,  contains  about  twenty  rooms,  besides  out¬ 
houses,  coach-house,  stables,  pigeon-house,  garden- 
house,  &c.  The  second  story,  where  the  principal 
apartments  are,  the  first  floor  being  chiefly  occupied 
by  servants,  has  the  same  number  of  rooms,  with 
coal-room,  wood-room,  bath-room,  and  water  every¬ 
where,  in  the  court  below,  in  the  garden,  and  on  the 
azotea,  which  is  very  spacious,  and  where,  were  the 
house  our  own,  we  might  build  a  mirador,  and  other¬ 
wise  ornament  it ;  but  to  build  for  another  is  too 
heroic.  The  great  defect  in  all  these  houses  is  their 
want  of  finish  ;  the  great  doors  that  will  not  shut 
properly,  and  the  great  windows  down  to  the  ground, 
which  in  the  rainy  season  will  certainly  admit  water; 
making  these  residences  appear  something  like  a 
cross-breed  between  a  palace  and  a  barn ;  the  splen¬ 
dor  of  the  one,  the  discomfort  of  the  other.  I  will 
not  inflict  upon  you  the  details  of  all  our  petty  an¬ 
noyances  caused  by  procrastinating  tradesmen.  Suf¬ 
fice  it  to  say,  that  the  Mexican  mahana  (to-morrow) 
if  properly  translated,  means  never.  As  to  prices,  I 
conclude  we  pay  for  being  foreigners  and  diplomates, 


SUNSET. 


139 


and  will  not  believe  in  a  first  experience.  However, 
we  are  settled  at  last,  and  find  the  air  here  much 
purer  than  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  while  the  mala¬ 
dies  and  epidemics  so  common  there,  are  here  almost 
unknown.  Behind  this  house  is  a  very  small  garden, 
bounded  on  one  side  by  the  great  wall  which  en¬ 
closes  the  orchard  of  the  old  monastery  of  San  Fer¬ 
nando  ;  within  whose  vast  precincts  only  seven  or 
eight  monks  now  linger.  It  is  an  immense  building, 
old  and  gray  and  time-worn,  with  church  adjoining, 
and  spacious  lands  appertaining  to  it.  At  all  times 
it  is  picturesque,  but  by  moonlight  or  sunset,  it  forms 
a  most  olden-time  vision. 

At  that  hour,  standing  alone  in  the  high-walled 
garden,  when  the  convent  bells  are  tolling,  and  the 
convent  itself,  with  its  iron-barred,  gothic  windows, 
and  its  gray-green  olive  trees  that  look  so  unreal  and 
lifeless,  is  tinged  by  the  last  rays  of  the  sun,  the 
whole  seems  like  a  vision,  or  a  half-remembered 
sketch,  or  a  memory  of  romance. 

Then  the  sun  sets  behind  the  snow-crowned  moun¬ 
tains  with  a  bright  fiery  red,  covering  their  majestic 
sides  with  a  rosy  glow,  while  great  black  clouds  come 
sailing  along  like  the  wings  of  night ;  and  then  is 
the  hour  for  remembering  that  this  is  Mexico,  and  in 
spite  of  all  the  evils  that  have  fallen  over  it,  the 
memory  of  the  romantic  past  hovers  there  still.  But 
the  dark  clouds  sail  on,  and  envelop  the  crimson  tints 
yet  lingering  and  blushing  on  the  lofty  mountains, 
and  like  monstrous  night-birds  brood  there  in  silent 
watch,  and  gradually  the  whole  landscape;  —  moun¬ 
tains  and  sky,  convent  and  olive  trees,  look  gray 


140 


COMPLIMENTS. 


and  sad,  and  seem  to  melt  away  in  the  dim  twi¬ 
light. 

Then  the  bright  moon  rises,  and  flings  her  silver 
veil  over  the  mountains,  and  lights  up  the  plains, 
glittering  and  quivering  upon  the  old  gray  stones, 
and  a  sound  of  military  music  is  heard  in  the  dis¬ 
tance,  far  and  faint.  And  all  the  bells  are  tolling ; 
from  old  San  Fernando  that  repeats  himself  like  a 
sexagenarian  ;  from  the  towers  of  the  cathedral,  from 
many  a  distant  church  and  convent ;  and  above  the 
rumbling  of  carriages  and  the  hum  of  the  city,  are 
heard  the  notes  of  a  hymn,  now  rising,  now  falling 
on  the  ear,  as  a  religious  procession  passes  along  to 
some  neighboring  temple.  But  it  grows  late  —  a 
carriage  enters  the  court-yard  —  a  visit.  There  is 
no  romance  here.  Men  and  women  are  the  same 
everywhere,  whether  enveloped  in  the  graceful  man¬ 
tilla,  or  wearing  Herbault’s  last,  whether  wrapt  in 
Spanish  cloak,  or  Mexican  sarape,  or  Scottish  plaid. 
The  manners  of  the  ladies  here  are  extremely  kind, 
but  Spanish  etiquette  and  compliments  are  beyond 
measure  tiresome.  After  having  embraced  each  lady 
who  enters,  according  to  the  fashion,  which  after  all 
seems  cordial  to  say  the  least  of  it,  and  seated  the 
lady  of  most  consequence  on  the  right  side  of  the 
sofa,  a  point  of  great  importance,  the  following  dia¬ 
logue  is  de  rigueur.  “  How  are  you  ?  Are  you 
well  ?  ”  “  At  your  service,  and  you  ?  ”  “  Without 

novelty,  (sin  novedad)  at  your  service.”  “  I  am 
rejoiced,  and  how  are  you,  Sehora-?”  “At  your 
disposal,  and  you  ?  ”  “  A  thousand  thanks,  and  the 

Sehor?  ”  “  At  your  service,  without  novelty,”  &c., 


COMPLIMENTS. 


141 


&c.,  &c.,  besides,  before  sitting  down,  there  is  “  Pray 
be  seated.”  “Pass  first,  Senorita.”  “No,  madam, 
pray  pass  first.”  “  Vaya,  well,  to  oblige  you,  with¬ 
out  further  ceremony  ;  I  dislike  compliments  and  eti¬ 
quette.”  And  it  is  a  fact  that  there  is  no  real  eti¬ 
quette,  but  the  most  perfect  laissez  aller  in  the  world. 
All  these  are  mere  words,  tokens  of  good  will.  If  it 
is  in  the  morning,  there  is  the  additional  question  of 
“  How  have  you  passed  the  night  ?  ”  And  the  an¬ 
swer,  “  In  your  service.”  Even  in  Mexico,  the 
weather  affords  a  legitimate  opening  for  a  conversa¬ 
tional  battery,  but  this  chiefly  when  it  rains  or  looks 
dull,  which,  occasioning  surprise,  gives  rise  to  obser¬ 
vation.  Besides,  a  slight  change  in  the  degree  of 
heat  or  cold  which  we  would  not  observe,  they  com¬ 
ment  upon. 

The  visit  over,  the  ladies  reembrace,  the  lady  of 
the  house  following  her  guests  to  the  top  of  the  stair¬ 
case,  and  again  compliments  are  given  and  received. 
“  Madam,  you  know  that  my  house  is  at  your  dis¬ 
posal.”  “  A  thousand  thanks,  madam.  Mine  is  at 
your’s,  and  though  useless,  know  me  for  your  ser¬ 
vant,  and  command  me  in  everything  that  you  may 
desire.”  “  Adieu,  1  hope  you  may  pass  a  good 
night,”  &c.  &c.  &c.  At  the  bottom  of  the  first  land¬ 
ing-place,  the  visiters  again  turn  round  to  catch  the 
eye  of  the  lady  of  the  house,  and  the  adieus  are  re¬ 
peated.  All  this,  which  struck  me  at  first,  already 
appears  quite  natural,  and  would  scarce  be  worth 
mentioning,  but  as  affording  a  contrast  to  our  slight 
and  indifferent  manner  of  receiving  and  taking  leave 
of  our  guests.  All  the  ladies  address  each  other, 


142 


MOONLIGHT  VIEW. 


and  are  addressed  by  gentlemen,  by  their  Christian 
names,  and  those  who  have  paid  me  more  than  one 
or  two  visits,  use  the  same  familiar  mode  of  address 
to  me.  Amongst  women  I  rather  like  this,  but  it 
somewhat  startles  my  ideas  of  the  fitness  of  things 
to  hear  a  young  man  address  a  married  woman,  as 
Maria,  Antonia,  Anita,  &c.  However,  things  must 
be  taken  as  they  are  meant,  and  as  no  familiarity  is 
intended,  none  should  be  supposed . 

But  these  visiters  are  gone,  and  into  the  open 
court  the  consolatory  moon  is  shining.  All  clouds 
have  passed  away,  and  the  blue  of  the  sky  is  so  blue, 
as  to  dazzle  the  eyes  even  in  the  moonlight.  Each 
star  shines  out,  bright,  golden  and  distinct,  and  it 
seems  a  sin  to  sleep,  and  to  lose  so  lovely  a  night. 
....  But  for  a  true  night  view,  mount  upon  the 
Azotea,  and  see  all  Mexico  sleeping  at  your  feet ; 
the  whole  valley  and  the  city  itself  floating  in  moon¬ 
light  ;  the  blue  vault  above  gemmed  with  stars,  and 
the  mountains  all  bathed  in  silver,  the  white  volca¬ 
noes  seeming  to  join  earth  and  sky.  Here,  even 
Salvator’s  genius  would  fail.  We  must  evoke  the 
ghost  of  Byron.  The  pencil  can  do  nothing.  Poet¬ 
ry  alone  might  give  a  faint  idea  of  a  scene  so  won- 
drously  beautiful. 

2 6th.  —  We  went  yesterday  with  Mr.  M - ,  his 

wife  and  daughter  and  a  padre  to  visit  the  Archbish¬ 
op’s  palace  at  Tacubaya,  a  pretty  village  about  four 
miles  from  Mexico,  and  a  favorite  ride  of  ours  in  the 
morning.  The  country  round  Mexico,  if  not  always 
beautiful,  has  the  merit  of  being  original,  and  on  the 
road  to  Tacubaya,  which  goes  by  Chapultepec,  you 


THE  MAGUEY. 


143 


pass  large  tracts  of  country,  almost  entirely  unculti¬ 
vated,  though  so  near  the  city,  or  covered  by  the 
mighty  maguey  plant,  the  American  agave,  which 
will  flourish  on  the  most  arid  soil,  and  like  a  fountain 
in  a  desert  place,  furnishes  the  poorest  Indian  with 
the  beverage  most  grateful  to  his  palate.  It  seems 
to  be  to  them  what  the  reindeer  is  to  the  Esqui¬ 
maux,  fitted  by  nature  to  supply  all  his  wants.  The 
maguey  and  its  produce  pulque  were  known  to  the 
Indians  in  the  most  ancient  times,  and  the  primitive 
Aztecs  may  have  become  as  intoxicated  on  their 
favorite  octli,  as  they  called  it,  as  the  modern  Mexi¬ 
cans  do  on  their  beloved  pulque. 

It  is  not  often  that  we  see  the  superb  flower  with 
its  colossal  stem,  for  the  plant  that  is  in  blossom  is  a 
useless  beauty.  The  moment  the  experienced  Indian 
becomes  aware  that  his  maguey  is  about  to  flower,  he 
cuts  out  the  heart,  covers  it  over  with  the  side  leaves 
of  the  plant,  and  all  the  juice  which  should  have 
gone  to  the  great  stem  of  the  flower,  runs  into  the 
empty  basin  thus  formed,  into  which  the  Indian,  thrice 
a-day,  and  during  several  months  in  succession,  in¬ 
serts  his  acojote  or  gourd,  a  kind  of  syphon,  and 
applying  his  mouth  to  the  other  end,  draws  off  the 
liquor  by  suction  ;  a  curious-looking  process.  First  it 
is  called  honey-water,  and  is  sweet  and  scentless  ; 
but  easily  ferments  when  transferred  to  the  skins  or 
earthen  vases  where  it  is  kept.  To  assist  in  its  fer¬ 
mentation,  however,  a  little  old  pulque,  Madre  pulque, 
as  it  is  called,  which  has  fermented  for  many  days,  is 
added  to  it,  and  in  twenty-four  hours  after  it  leaves 
the  plant,  you  may  imbibe  it  in  all  its  perfection.  It 


144 


PULQUE. 


is  said  to  be  the  most  wholesome  drink  in  the  world, 
and  remarkably  agreeable  when  one  has  overcome 
the  first  shock  occasioned  by  its  rancid  odor.  At  all 
events,  the  maguey  is  a  source  of  unfailing  profit,  the 
consumption  of  pulque  being  enormous,  so  that  many 
of  the  richest  families  in  the  capital  owe  their  fortune 
entirely  to  the  produce  of  their  magueys.  When  the 
owners  do  not  make  the  pulque  themselves,  they 
frequently  sell  their  plants  to  the  Indians  ;  and  a 
maguey,  which  costs  a  real  when  first  planted,  will, 
when  ready  to  be  cut,  sell  for  twelve  or  eighteen 
dollars  ;  a  tolerable  profit,  considering  that  it  grows 
in  almost  any  soil,  requires  little  manure,  and,  unlike 
the  vine,  no  very  special  or  periodical  care.  They  are 
planted  in  rows,  like  hedges,  and  though  the  indivi¬ 
dual  plant  is  handsome,  the  general  effect  is  monoto¬ 
nous.  Of  the  fibres  is  made  an  excellent  strong 
thread  called  pita,  of  which  pita  they  make  a  strong 
brownish  paper,  and  might  make  cloth  if  they  pleased. 
There  is,  however,  little  improvement  made  by  the 
Mexicans  upon  the  ingenuity  of  their  Indian  ances¬ 
tors,  in  respect  to  the  maguey.  Upon  paper  made  of 
its  fibres,  the  ancient  Mexicans  painted  their  hiero- 
glyphical  figures.  The  strong  and  pointed  thorns 
which  terminate  the  gigantic  leaves,  they  used  as  nails 
and  pins  ;  and  amongst  the  abuses,  not  the  uses  of 
these,  the  ancient  sanguinary  priests  were  in  the  habit 
of  piercing  their  breasts  and  tearing  their  arms  with 
them,  in  acts  of  expiation.  Besides,  there  is  a  very 
strong  brandy  distilled  from  pulque,  which  has  the 
advantage  of  producing  intoxication  in  an  infinitely 
shorter  period 


ARBOL  DE  PERU. 


145 


Together  with  the  maguey,  grows  another  immense 
production  of  nature,  the  organos,  which  resembles 
the  barrels  or  pipes  of  an  organ,  and  being  covered 
with  prickles,  the  plants  growing  close  together,  and 
about  six  feet  high,  makes  the  strongest  natural  fence 
imaginable,  besides  being  covered  with  beautiful 
flowers.  There  is  also  another  species  of  cactus, 
the  nopal  which  bears  the  tuna,  a  most  refreshing 
fruit,  but  not  ripe  at  this  season.  The  plant  looks 
like  a  series  of  flat  green  pincushions  fastened  to¬ 
gether,  and  stuck  full  of  diminutive  needles. 

But  though  the  environs  of  Mexico  are  flat,  though 
there  are  few  trees,  little  cultivation,  uninhabited 
haciendas  and  ruined  churches  in  all  directions,  still, 
with  its  beautiful  climate  and  ever-smiling  sky,  the 
profusion  of  roses  and  sweet-pease  in  the  deserted 
gardens,  the  occasional  clumps  of  fine  trees,  particu¬ 
larly  the  graceful  Arbol  de  Peru  ( schinum  molle,  the 
Peruvian  pepper-tree),  its  bending  branches  loaded 
with  bunches  of  coral-colored  berries,  the  old  orchards 
with  their  blossoming  fruit-trees,  the  conviction  that 
everything  necessary  for  the  use  of  man  can  be  pro¬ 
duced  with  scarcely  any  labor,  all  contributes  to  ren¬ 
der  the  landscape  one  which  it  is  impossible  to  pass 
through  with  indifference. 

A  magnificent  ash  tree  (the  Mexican  fresno ),  the 
pride  of  Tacubaya,  which  throws  out  its  luxuriant 
branches,  covering  a  large  space  of  ground,  was  pointed 
out  to  us  as  having  a  tradition  attached  to  it.  It  had 
nearly  withered  away,  when  the  Ylustrisimo  Sehor 
Fonti,  the  last  of  the  Spanish  Archbishops,  gave  it 
his  solemn  benediction,  and  prayed  that  its  vigor 
13 


VOL.  I. 


146 


TACUBAYA. 


might  be  restored.  Heaven  heard  his  prayer;  new 
buds  instantly  shot  forth,  and  the  tree  has  since  con¬ 
tinued  to  thrive  luxuriantly. 

Tacubaya  is  a  scattered  village,  containing  some 
pretty  country-houses  and  some  old  gardens  with 
stone  fountains.  The  word  country-house  must  not, 
however,  be  understood  in  the  English  acceptation  of 
the  word.  The  house,  which  is  in  fact  merely  used 
as  an  occasional  retreat  during  the  summer  months, 
is  generally  a  large  empty  building,  with  innumerable 
lofty  rooms,  communicating  with  each  other,  and  con¬ 
taining  the  scantiest  possible  supply  of  furniture.  One 
room  will  have  in  it  a  deal  table  and  a  few  chairs ; 
you  will  then  pass  through  live  or  six  quite  empty ; 
then  you  will  arrive  at  two  or  three,  with  green  painted 
bedsteads  and  a  bench  ;  the  walls  bare,  or  ornamented 
with  a  few  old  pictures  of  Saints  and  Virgins,  and  bare 
floors  ornamented  with  nothing.  To  this  add  a  kitchen 
and  out-houses,  a  garden  running  to  waste  and  over¬ 
running  with  flowers,  with  stiff’ stone  walks  and  a  foun¬ 
tain  in  the  middle,  an  orchard  and  an  olive-ground  ; 
such  are  most  of  the  haciendas  that  I  have  yet  seen. 

That  of  the  Countess  C - a,  which  seems  to  be  the 

handsomest  in  Tacubaya,  is  remarkable  for  com¬ 
manding  from  its  windows  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
views  imaginable  of  Mexico,  the  volcanoes  and  Cha- 
pultepec.  From  her  azotea  there  is  also  a  splendid 
view  of  the  whole  valley  ;  and  as  her  garden  is  in 
good  order,  that  she  has  an  excellent  billiard-table,  a 
piano,  but  above  all,  a  most  agreeable  society  in  her 
own  family,  and  that  her  house  is  the  very  centre  of 
hospitality,  one  may  certainly  spend  many  pleasant 


ARZOBISPADO. 


147 


hours  there,  without  regretting  the  absence  of  the 
luxurious  furniture,  which,  in  Mexico,  seems  entirely 
confined  to  the  town  houses.  The  Countess  herself 
assured  us  that  she  had  twice  completely  furnished 
her  house,  but  as,  in  two  revolutions,  everything  was 
thrown  out  of  the  windows  and  destroyed,  she  was 
resolved  in  future  to  confine  herself  to  le  stride  ne- 
cessaire. 

We  went  to  see  a  house  and  garden  which  has 
fallen,  in  chance  succession,  to  a  poor  woman,  who, 
not  being  able  to  occupy  her  unexpected  inheritance, 
is  desirous  of  selling  it.  The  garden  and  grounds 
are  a  deserted  wilderness  of  sweets.  We  were  joined 
by  several  monks  from  a  neighboring  convent,  and 
with  them  went  to  visit  the  Archbishop’s  Palace. 
Chemin  faisant,  the  padre  informed  us  that  he  was 
formerly  a  merchant,  a  married  man,  and  a  friend  of 
Yturbide’s.  He  failed,  his  wife  died,  his  friend  was 
shot,  and  he  joined  a  small  community  of  priests  who 
live  retired  in  the  convent  of  La  Profesa,  which, 
with  its  church,  is  one  of  the  richest  in  Mexico. 

The  Arzobispado  is  a  large,  handsome,  but  deserted 
building,  commanding  the  same  fine  view  as  from 
the  house  of  the  Countess,  and  with  a  garden  and 
fine  olive-ground,  of  which  the  trees  were  brought 
from  Europe.  The  garden  was  filled  with  large 
double  pink  roses,  and  bunches  of  the  mille-fleur- 
rose,  which  are  disposed  in  arches,  a  favorite  custom 
here,  also  with  a  profusion  of  sweet  pease  and  jessa¬ 
mine,  and  a  few  orange  trees.  The  gardener  gave 
us  some  beautiful  bouquets,  and  we  lingered  here  till 
sunset,  admiring  the  view.  There  is  no  point  from 


148 


ROBBERY. 


which  Mexico  is  seen  to  such  advantage.  It  is  even 
a  finer  prospect  than  that  from  Chapultepec,  since  it 
embraces  the  castle  itself,  one  of  the  most  striking 
features  in  the  landscape.  But  just  as  the  sun  sunk 
behind  the  mountains,  a  sudden  change  took  place 
in  the  weather.  The  wind  rose,  great  masses  of  dark 
clouds  came  driving  over  the  sky,  and  the  rain  fell  in 
torrents,  forcing  us  to  make  a  hasty  retreat  to  our 
carriages,  and  having  omitted  to  take  any  precau¬ 
tions,  and  this  road  not  being  particularly  safe  at 
night,  we  were  probably  indebted  for  our  safe  return 
more  to  “  good  luck  than  good  guidance  ;  ”  or, 
perhaps,  we  owed  it  in  part  to  the  padre,  for  the 
robbers  are  shy  of  attacking  either  soldiers  or  priests, 
the  first  from  fear,  and  the  second  from  awe. 

Talking  of  robbers  and  robberies,  rather  a  fertile 

theme  of  conversation,  Senor - told  me  the  other 

day  that  in  the  time  of  a  former  President,  it  came 
to  pass,  that  a  certain  gentleman  went  to  take  his 
leave  at  the  palace,  previous  to  setting  off  for  Vera 
Cruz.  He  was  received  by  the  President,  who  was 
alone  with  his  aid-de-camp,  General - ,  and  men¬ 

tioned  to  him  in  confidence  that  he  was  about  to  take  a 
considerable  sum  of  money  with  him,  but  that  it  was 
so  well  concealed  in  the  lining  of  a  trunk,  which  he 
described,  that  even  if  attacked  by  robbers,  it  was 
impossible  they  should  discover  it,  and  that  therefore 
he  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  take  an  escort  with 
him.  The  next  day  this  confidential  gentleman  left 
Mexico,  in  the  diligence.  Not  far  from  the  gates 
the  coach  was  attacked,  and,  strange  to  say,  the 
robbers  singled  out  the  very  trunk  which  contained 


WOMEN. 


149 


the  money,  opened  it,  ripped  up  the  lining,  and  hav¬ 
ing  possessed  themselves  of  the  sum  therein  concealed, 
peaceably  departed.  It  was  a  singular  coincidence, 
that  the  captain  of  the  robbers,  though  somewhat 
disguised,  bore  a  striking  general  resemblance  to  the 
President’s  aid-de-camp  !  .  .  .  These  coincidences 
will  happen . 

My  chief  occupation,  lately,  has  consisted  in 
returning  visits  ;  and  it  is  certain,  that  according  to 
our  views  of  the  case,  there  is  too  wide  a  distinction 
between  the  full-dress  style  of  toilette  adopted  by  the 
ladies,  when  they  pay  visits,  and  the  undress  in  which 
they  receive  their  visiters  at  home.  To  this  there 
are  some,  nay  many  exceptions,  but  en  masse  this  is 
the  case . 

On  first  arriving  from  the  United  States,  where  an 
ugly  woman  is  a  phoenix,  one  cannot  fail  to  be  struck 
at  the  first  glance  with  the  general  absence  of  beauty 
in  Mexico.  It  is  only  by  degrees  that  handsome 
faces  begin  to  dawn  upon  us ;  but,  however,  it  must 
be  remarked,  that  beauty  without  color  is  apt  to  be 
less  striking  and  to  make  less  impression  on  us  at 
first.  The  brilliant  complexion  and  fine  figure  of  an 
English  woman  strike  every  eye.  The  beauty  of 
expression  and  finely  chiselled  features  of  a  Spaniard 
steal  upon  us  like  a  soft  moonlight,  while  a  French 
woman,  however  plain,  has  so  graceful  a  manner  of 
saying  agreeable  things,  so  charming  a  tournure, 
such  a  piquante  way  of  managing  her  eyes  and  even 
her  mouth,  that  we  think  her  a  beauty  after  half  an 
hour’s  acquaintance,  and  even  lose  our  admiration  for 
the  quiet  and  high-bred,  but  less  graceful  Anglaise. 

13* 


150 


BEAUTIES  AND  DEFECTS. 


Tlie  beauty  of  the  women  here  consists  in  superb 
black  eyes,  very  fine  dark  hair,  a  beautiful  arm  and 
hand,  and  small,  well-made  feet.  Their  defects  are, 
that  they  are  frequently  too  short  and  too  fat,  that 
their  teeth  are  often  bad,  and  their  complexion  not 
the  clear  olive  of  the  Spaniards,  nor  the  glowing 
brown  of  the  Italians,  but  a  bilious-looking  yellow. 
Their  notion  of  inserting  the  foot  into  a  shoe  half  an 
inch  shorter,  ruins  the  foot  and  destroys  their  grace 
in  walking,  and,  consequently,  in  every  movement. 
This  fashion  is,  fortunately,  beginning  to  fall  into 
disuse;  ....  It  is  therefore  evident,  that  when  a 
Mcvicana  is  endowed  with  white  teeth  and  a  fine 
complexion,  when  she  has  not  grown  too  fat,  and 
when  she  does  not  torture  her  small  foot  to  make 

it  smaller,  she  must  be  extremely  handsome . 

The  general  carelessness  of  their  dress  in  the  morn¬ 
ing  is,  however,  another  great  drawback  to  beauty. 
A  woman  without  stays,  with  uncombed  hair  and 
reboso,  had  need  to  be  very  lovely  if  she  retain 
any  attraction  at  all.  This  indolence,  indeed,  is 
going  out  of  fashion,  especially  among  the  younger 
part  of  the  community,  owing,  perhaps,  to  their 
more  frequent  intercourse  with  foreigners,  though  it 
will  probably  be  long  before  the  morning  at  home  is 
not  considered  a  privileged  time  and  place  for  dis¬ 
habille.  Notwithstanding,  I  have  made  many  visits 
where  I  have  found  the  whole  family  in  a  perfect 
state  of  order  and  neatness,  but  I  have  observed  that 
there  the  fathers,  and  what  is  more  important,  the 
mothers,  had  travelled  in  Europe,  and  established  a 
new  order  of  things  on  their  return. 


INDIANS. 


151 


Upon  the  whole,  the  handsomest  women  here  are 
not  Mexicans,  that  is,  not  born  in  the  capital,  but  in 
the  provinces.  From  Puebla,  and  Jalapa  and  Vera 
Cruz  we  see  many  distinguished  by  their  brilliant 
complexions  and  fine  teeth,  and  who  are  taller  and 
more  graceful  than  those  born  in  the  city  of  Mexico ; 
precisely  as  in  Spain,  where  the  handsomest  women 
in  Madrid  are  said  to  be  those  born  out  of  it. 

The  common  Indians  whom  we  see  every  day 
bringing  in  their  fruit  and  vegetables  to  market,  are, 
generally  speaking,  very  plain,  with  a  humble,  mild 
expression  of  countenance,  very  gentle,  and  wonder¬ 
fully  polite  in  their  manners  to  each  other  ;  but  occa¬ 
sionally,  in  the  lower  clases,  one  sees  a  face  and 
form  so  beautiful,  that  we  might  suppose  such  an¬ 
other  was  the  Indian  who  enchanted  Cortes ;  with 
eyes  and  hair  of  extraordinary  beauty,  a  complexion 
dark  but  glowing,  with  the  Indian  beauty  of  teeth 
like  the  driven  snow,  together  with  small  feet  and 
beautifully-shaped  hands  and  arms,  however  em¬ 
browned  by  sun  and  toil.  In  these  cases,  it  is  more 
than  probable,  that  however  Indian  in  her  appear¬ 
ance,  there  must  have  been  some  intermarriages  in 
former  days  between  her  progenitors  and  the  de¬ 
scendants  of  the  conquerors.  We  also  occasionally 
observe  very  handsome  Rancheritas,  wives  or  daugh¬ 
ters  of  the  farmers,  riding  in  front  of  their  farm- 
servants  on  the  same  horse,  with  the  white  teeth  and 
fine  figures  which  are  preserved  by  the  constant  ex¬ 
ercise  that  country  women  must  perforce  take,  what¬ 
ever  be  their  natural  indolence ;  while  the  early 
fading  of  beauty  in  the  higher  classes,  the  decay  of 


152 


FOOD. 


teetli  and  the  over  corpulency  so  common  amongst 
them,  are  no  doubt  the  natural  consequences  of  want 
of  exercise  and  of  injudicious  food.  There  is  no 
country  in  the  world  where  so  much  animal  food  is 
consumed,  and  there  is  no  country  in  the  world 
where  so  little  is  required.  The  consumers  are  not 
the  Indians,  who  cannot  afford  it,  but  the  better 
classes  who  generally  eat  meat  three  times  a  day. 
This,  with  the  quantities  of  chile  and  sweetmeats,  in 
a  climate  which  every  one  complains  of  as  being 
irritating  and  inflammatory,  probably  produces  those 
nervous  complants  which  are  here  so  general,  and 
for  which  constant  hot  baths  are  the  universal  and 
agreeable  remedy. 

In  point  of  amiability  and  warmth  of  manner,  I 
have  met  with  no  women  who  can  possibly  compete 
with  those  in  Mexico,  and  it  appears  to  me  that  wo¬ 
men  of  all  other  countries  will  appear  cold  and  stiff 
by  comparison.  To  strangers,  this  is  an  unfailing 
charm,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  whatever  advan¬ 
tages  they  may  derive  from  their  intercourse  with 
foreigners,  they  may  never  lose  this  graceful  cordial¬ 
ity,  which  forms  so  agreeable  a  contrast  with  English 
and  American  frigidity.  .  .  . 

C - n  received  an  invitation  some  time  ago  to 

attend  the  honras  of  the  daughter  of  the  Marquis  of 
S - a,  that  is,  the  celebration  of  mass  for  the  re¬ 
pose  of  her  soul.  M - was  observing  to-day,  that 

if  this  Catholic  doctrine  be  firmly  believed,  and  that 
the  prayers  of  the  church  are  indeed  availing  to 
shorten  the  sufferings  of  those  who  have  gone  before 
us  ;  to  relieve  those  whom  we  love  from  thousands 


MASS  FOR  THE  DEAD. 


153 


of  years  of  torture,  it  is  astonishing  how  the  rich  do 
not  become  poor,  and  the  poor  beggars,  in  further¬ 
ance  of  this  object ;  and  that  if  the  idea  be  purely 
human,  it  showed  a  wonderful  knowledge  of  human 
nature,  on  the  part  of  the  inventor,  as  what  source  of 
profit  could  be  more  sure  ?  .  .  . 

Certainly  no  expense  was  spared  on  this  occasion. 
San  Augustin,  in  itself  a  beautiful  church,  was  fitted 
up  with  extraordinary  splendor.  The  walls  and  pil¬ 
lars  were  covered  with  draperies  of  rich  crimson 
velvet.  Innumerable  wax  candles  were  lighted,  and 
an  invisible  band  of  music  played  during  the  intervals 
of  the  deep-rolling  organ.  All  the  monks  of  San 
Augustin,  with  their  white  hoods  and  sandalled  feet, 
and  carrying  lighted  tapers,  were  ranged  near  the 
altar.  All  the  male  relatives  of  the  family,  dressed 
in  deep  mourning,  occupied  the  high-backed  chairs 
placed  along  one  side  of  the  church,  the  floor  of 
which  was  covered  with  a  carpet,  on  which  various 
veiled  and  mourning  figures  were  kneeling,  whom  I 
joined.  The  whole  service,  the  chanting,  the  solemn 
music,  and  the  prayers,  were  very  impressive,  yet 
more  joyous  than  sad,  perhaps  from  the  pervading 
feeling,  that  each  note,  as  it  rose  to  heaven,  carried 
some  alleviation  to  the  spirit  of  the  young  and  belov¬ 
ed  one,  for  whose  repose  they  prayed,  and  brought 
her  nearer  to  the  gates  of  the  Holy  City. 

She  was  but  twenty  when  she  died  ;  and  our  first 

house  is  close  to  that  of  the  Marquis  de  S - a,  her 

father,  so  that  we  were  shocked  to  learn  that  she  had 
expired  on  the  night  of  our  great  serenade,  (we,  of 
course,  not  aware  of  her  illness,)  actually  to  the 


154 


MODES  OF  INVITATION. 


sound  of  that  gay  music,  and  amidst  the  shouting 
and  clapping  of  hands  of  the  multitude.  When  the 
service  was  over,  the  procession  passed  out,  every 
one  kissing  the  hand  of  the  Bishop  as  he  went  along, 
and  we  found  some  difficulty  in  making  our  way 
through  the  crowds  of  leperos,  who,  though  not  al¬ 
lowed  to  enter  the  church  on  this  occasion,  were 
swarming  at  the  gates.  Our  carriage,  as  we  return¬ 
ed  home,  formed  one  of  a  file  of  at  least  one  hundred. 

We  found,  on  our  table,  another  invitation  to  a 
very  splendid  Mass,  which  is  to  be  performed  in  San 
Francisco,  on  account  of  the  death  of  a  friend  of 
ours,  a  senator  of  distinguished  family.  The  style 
of  these  invitations  is  as  follows.  A  device  is  en¬ 
graved  on  the  paper,  such  as  a  tomb  and  cypress, 
and  below  is  printed  : 

“Jose  Maria  A - , 

Jose  G - de  la  C - a,  and  Basilio  G - , 

brothers  and  uncle  of  the 

Senator  Don  Augustin  T - , 

who  died  on  the  twenty-eighth  of  last  month, 
request  you  to  assist  at  the  suffrage  of  the  funeral 

honors,  which,  by  the  desire  of  his  wife,  Doha  J - 

A - ,  will  be  celebrated  in  the  church  of  San 

Francisco  on  the  morning  of  the  eighth  of  this  month 
of  February,  1840,  at  nine  o’clock.” 

Beside  this  invitation,  was  a  piece  of  information 
of  a  different  description  : 

“  General  A- - and  Anna  R - beg  to  inform 

you,  that  they  have  contracted  matrimony,  and  have 
the  honor  of  offering  themselves  to  your  disposal. 

“  M - Street,  No.  24.  Mexico,  1840.” 


A  BLUNDER. 


155 


Here,  as  in  Spain,  a  lady,  after  her  marriage,  re¬ 
tains  her  maiden  name  ;  and  though  she  adds  to  it 
that  of  her  husband,  she  is  more  commonly  known 
by  her  own. 

From  ignorance  of  another  Mexican  custom,  I 
made  rather  an  awkward  blunder  the  other  day, 
though  I  must  observe,  in  my  justification,  that  I  had 
lately  been  in  all  the  agonies  of  searching  for  ser¬ 
vants,  and  had  just  filled  all  the  necessary  depart¬ 
ments  pretty  much  to  my  satisfaction.  Therefore, 

when  the  porter  of  the  Senora  de - brought  me 

the  compliments  of  his  mistress,  and  that  she  begged 
to  inform  me  that  she  had  another  servant  at  my 
disposal,  (otra  criada  a  mi  disposicion,)  I  returned 
for  answer,  that  I  was  greatly  obliged,  but  had  just 
hired  a  recamerera,  (chambermaid).  At  this  the 
man,  stupid  as  he  was,  opened  his  great  eyes  with  a 
slight  expression  of  wonder.  Fortunately,  as  he  was 
turning  away,  I  bethought  me  of  inquiring  after  the 
Senora’s  health,  and  his  reply,  that  “  she  and  the 
baby  were  coming  on  very  well,”  brought  the  truth 
suddenly  before  me,  that  the  message  was  merely 
the  etiquette  used  on  informing  the  friends  of  the 
family  of  the  birth  of  a  child  ;  a  conviction  which  in¬ 
duced  me  slightly  to  alter  the  style  of  my  answer. 
Exjierientia  docet ! 


LETTER  THE  ELEVENTH. 


Calle  de  Tacuba —  The  Leap  of  Alvarado  —  The  “  Noche  Triste.” 

—  Sale  of  a  Curate’s  Goods — Padre  Leon  —  Leprosy  —  Pic¬ 
tures —  The  Annunciation — The  Alameda  —  Paseo  de  Buca- 
relli  —  The  Viga —  Indians  in  canoes  —  A  Murder — A  Coun¬ 
try  F<lte  —  Visit  to  the  Colegia  Vizcaino  —  The  Jota  Arragonesa 

—  Old  Soldiers. 


The  street  in  which  we  live  forms  part  of  the  Calle 
de  Tacuba,  the  ancient  Tlacopan,  one  of  the  great 
causeways  by  which  ancient  Mexico  communicated 
with  the  continent.  The  other  two  were  Tepeyayac 
(now  Guadalupe)  and  Iztapalapan,  by  which  last, 
the  Mexican  Emperor  and  his  nobles  went  out  to  re¬ 
ceive  Cortes  on  his  entrance  to  Tenochtitlan.  The 
ancient  city  was  divided  into  four  districts,  and  this 
division  is  still  preserved,  with  a  change  from  the  In¬ 
dian  names  to  those  of  San  Pablo,  San  Sebastian, 
San  Juan,  and  Santa  Maria.  The  streets  run  in  the 
same  direction  as  they  did  in  former  times.  The 
same  street  frequently  changes  its  name  in  each  di¬ 
vision,  and  this  part  of  the  Calle  de  Tacuba,  is  occa¬ 
sionally  called  the  “  Plazuela  del  Sopilote,”  £<  San 
Fernando,”  and  the  “  Puente  de  Alvarado,”  which 
is  the  more  classic  of  the  three,  as  celebrating  the 
valor  of  a  hero  ;  while  a  ditch,  crossed  by  a  small 
bridge  near  this,  still  retains  the  name  of  “  el  Salto 
de  Alvarado,”  in  memory  of  the  famous  leap  given 


NOCHE  TRISTE. 


157 


C( 


JJ 


by  the  valiant  Spaniard,  “  Pedro  de  Alvarado,”  on 
the  memorable  night  called  the  “  noche  triste ,”  of  the 
1st  of  July,  1520,  when  the  Spaniards  were  forced 
to  retreat  from  Mexico  to  the  mountains  of  Tepeya- 
yac. 

On  that  “  sad  night,”  the  rain  falling  in  torrents, 
the  moon  and  the  stars  refusing  their  light,  the  sky 
covered  with  thick  clouds,  Cortes  commanded  the 
silent  march  of  his  troops.  Sandoval,  the  uncon¬ 
querable  captain,  led  his  van-guard,  and  the  stern  hero 
Pedro  de  Alvarado,  brought  up  the  rear.  A  bridge 
of  wood  was  carried  by  forty  soldiers,  to  enable  the 
troops  to  pass  the  ditches  or  canals,  which  must 
otherwise  have  impeded  their  retreat.  It  is  said  that 
in  choosing  the  night  for  this  march,  Cortes  was 
guided  by  the  counsels  of  an  astrologer. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  the  first  canal  was  happily 
passed  by  means  of  the  portable  bridge.  The  sen¬ 
tinels  who  guarded  that  point  were  overcome  ;  but 
the  noise  of  the  struggle  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  vigilant  priests,  who  in  the  silence  of  the  night 
were  keeping  watch  in  the  temple.  They  blew  the 
holy  trumpets,  cried  to  arms,  and  awakened  the 
startled  inhabitants  from  their  slumbers. 

In  a  moment  the  Spaniards  were  surrounded,  by 
water  and  by  land.  At  the  second  canal,  which  they 
had  already  reached,  the  combat  was  terrible.  All 
was  confusion,  wounds,  groans  and  death,  and  the 
canal  became  so  choked  with  dead  bodies,  that  the 
rear  guard  passed  over  them  as  over  a  bridge.  We 
are  told  that  Cortes  himself  swam  more  than  once 
over  the  canal,  regardless  of  danger,  cheering  on  his 
14 


VOL  I, 


158 


ALVARADO. 


men,  giving  out  his  orders,  every  blow  aimed  in  the 
direction  of  his  voice,  yet  cool  and  intrepid  as  ever, 
in  the  midst  of  all  the  clamor  and  confusion  and 
darkness.  But  arrived  at  the  third  canal,  Alvarado 
finding  himself  alone,  and  surrounded  by  furious 
enemies,  against  whom  it  was  in  vain  for  his  single 
arm  to  contend,  fixed  his  lance  in  the  bottom  of  the 
canal,  and  leaning  against  it,  gave  one  spring  to  the 
opposite  shore. 

An  Aztec  author  and  contemporary  of  Cortes, 
says  that  when  the  Indians  beheld  this  marvellous 
leap,  and  that  their  enemy  was  safe,  they  bit  the 
dust,  “  comieron  tierra  ;  ”  and  that  the  children  of 
Alvarado,  who  was  ever  after  known  as  “  Alvarado 
of  the  leap,”  proved  in  the  course  of  a  law-suit  be¬ 
fore  the  judges  of  Tezcuco,  by  competent  witnesses, 
the  truth  of  this  prowess  of  their  father. 

In  a  hitherto  unpublished  manuscript  which  has 
come  to  light  this  year  in  an  Annual  called  the 
“  Mosaico  Mexicano,”  there  are  some  curious  partic¬ 
ulars  concerning  the  “  nochc  triste.”  It  is  said  that 
the  alarm  was  given  by  an  old  woman  who  kept  a 
stall,  and  mention  is  made  of  the  extraordinary  valor 
of  a  lady  called  Maria  de  Estrada,  who  performed 
marvellous  deeds  with  her  sword,  and  who  was  after¬ 
wards  married  to  Don  Pedro  Sanchez  Farfan.  It  is 
also  said,  that  when  the  Indians  beheld  the  leap,  they 
called  out,  “  Truly  this  man  is  the  offspring  of  the 
sun ;  ”  and  that  this  manner  of  tearing  up  the 
ground,  and  eating  earth  by  handfuls,  was  a  common 
Indian  mode  of  expressing  admiration.  However, 
Mexico  is  so  rich  in  traditions,  that  when  I  particu- 


LEPROSY. 


159 


larize  this  one,  it  is  only  because  we  live  on  the  site 
where  the  event  took  place.  .  .  . 

We  went  a  few  days  ago  to  see  some  effects  which 
are  for  sale,  belonging  to  a  Cura  who  died  lately, 
having  heard  that  he  has  left  some  good  paintings 
amongst  them.  We  went  in  the  evening,  and  found 
no  one  but  the  agent,  an  individual  in  the  Daniel 
Lambert  style ;  an  old  woman  or  two,  and  the  padre 
Leon,  a  Jesuit,  Capellan  of  the  Capuchin  nuns,  and 
whose  face  besides  being  handsome,  looks  the  very 
personification  of  all  that  is  good,  and  mild,  and 
holy.  What  a  fine  study  for  a  painter  his  head 
would  be  !  The  old  priest  who  died,  and  who  had 
brought  over  various  valuables  from  Spain,  had  a  sis¬ 
ter  who  was  a  leper,  and  who  died  in  the  hospital  of 
San  Lazaro.  This  dreadful  scourge  is  by  no  means 
wholly  unknown  here ;  and  though  it  is  ordained 
that  all  who  are  afflicted  by  it  shall  be  shut  up  in 
this  hospital,  I  have  met  two  persons,  and  one  of 
these  in  society,  who  have  the  disease. 

For  this  house,  which  is  very  large,  the  executors 
ask  a  preposterous  rent.  The  goods  of  the  defunct,1*^ 
which  were  for  sale,  were  ranged  on  long  tables  in  a 
very  large  apartment.  There  were  virgins  and 
saints,  surplices,  candlesticks  and  snuffer-trays ; 
boxes  of  all  sorts  and  sizes ;  an  ill-set  parure  of 
emeralds  and  diamonds ;  several  good  paintings, 
especially  one  of  the  Annunciation.  There  was  the 
death  of  San  Jose,  various  saints,  &c.,  all  religious 

subjects,  as  may  be  supposed.  Two  C - n 

bought ;  one  I  greatly  coveted.  There  were  also 
two  large  pieces  of  embroidered  velvet,  on  which 


160 


PADRE  I.EON. 


were  the  arms  of  Castille ;  said  to  have  been  hung 
on  a  portrait  of  Queen  Cristina,  when  she  entered 

Madrid.  The  agent  begged  C - n  to  buy  them, 

asking  at  the  same  time  an  impossible  price  therefor. 

There  was  moreover  a  large  box  full  of  relics  from 
Jerusalem,  which  the  padre  told  me  could  not  be 
sold,  but  that  I  might  choose  whatever  I  liked,  so 
that  I  returned  home  with  various  Agnus  Deis,  cru¬ 
cifixes  and  rosaries.  The  next  day,  a  messenger 
from  padre  Leon  brought  me  the  painting  of  the 
Annunciation,  which  I  had  admired  so  much,  and 
which  is  a  sketch  of  Bayeu,  a  Valencian  painter, 
from  his  own  painting  of  the  Annunciation  in  the 
royal  chapel  of  Aranjuez  ;  also  the  embroidered 
velvet,  begging  my  acceptance  of  both.  We  have 
since  wished  to  shew  our  sense  of  the  padre’s  polite¬ 
ness,  but  he  will  neither  accept  presents,  nor  will  he 
visit  any  one  but  such  as  in  the  hour  of  need  require 
his  spiritual  services.  In  the  house  of  sickness,  and 
by  the  bed  of  death  he  is  ever  to  be  found,  but 
chiefly  if  it  is  also  the  abode  of  poverty.  In  the  house 
of  the  rich  man  he  rarely  visits,  and  then  only  when 
his  presence  has  been  requested  —  when  he  has 
been  called  in  to  administer  spiritual  consolation  to 
the  sick  or  the  dying.  But  in  the  dwelling  of  the 
lowly,  in  the  meanest  and  most  wretched  hovels, 
he  has  never  to  be  sought.  The  guardian  and 
friend  of  the  poor,  his  charities  are  equally  extensive 
and  judicious . 

Yesterday,  being  a  fete  day,  the  Pasco  was  very 
full  of  carriages,  and  consequently  more  brilliant  and 
amusing  than  usual.  This  Paseo  is  the  Mexican 


THE  PASEO. 


161 


Prado  or  Hyde-Park,  while  the  Viga  may  be  reck¬ 
oned  the  Kensington  Gardens  of  the  metropolis,  only 
however  as  succeeding  to  the  other,  for  there  is  no 
walking,  which  in  Mexico  is  considered  wholly  un¬ 
fashionable  ;  and  though  a  few  ladies  in  black  gowns 
and  mantillas  do  occasionally  venture  forth  on  foot 
very  early  to  shop,  or  to  attend  mass  ;  the  streets  are 
so  ill  kept,  the  pavements  so  narrow,  the  crowd  so 
great,  and  the  multitude  of  leperos  in  rags  and 
blankets  so  annoying,  that  all  these  inconveniences 
added  to  the  heat  of  the  sun  in  the  middle  of  the 
day,  form  a  perfect  excuse  for  their  non-appearance 
on  the  streets  of  Mexico. 

In  the  Alameda,  however,  which  is  so  pretty  and 
shady,  it  is  very  agreeable  to  walk,  but  though  I 
have  gone  there  frequently  in  the  morning,  I  have 
met  but  three  ladies  on  foot,  and  of  these,  two 
were  foreigners.  After  all,  every  one  has  feet, 
but  ladies  alone  have  carriages,  and  it  may  be  a 
mixture  of  aristocracy  and  indolence  which  prevents 
the  Mexican  Donas  from  profaning  the  soles  of  their 
feet  by  a  contact  with  their  mother  earth. 

The  Paseo  called  de  Bucarelli,  after  a  Viceroy  of 
that  name,  is  a  long  and  broad  avenue  bounded  by 
the  trees  which  he  planted,  and  where  there  is  a 
large  stone  fountain,  whose  sparkling  waters  look 
cool  and  pleasant,  ornamented  by  a  gilt  statue  of 
victory.  Here,  every  evening,  but  more  especially 
on  Sundays  and  fete-days,  which  last  are  nearly  in¬ 
numerable,  may  be  seen  two  long  rows  of  carriages 
filled  with  ladies,  crowds  of  gentlemen  on  horseback 
riding  down  the  middle  between  these  carriages, 
14* 


162 


EQUIPAGES. 


soldiers  at  intervals  attending  to  the  preservation  of 
public  order,  and  multitudes  of  common  people  and 
leperos,  mingled  with  some  well-dressed  gentlemen 
on  foot.  The  carriages  are  for  the  most  part  ex¬ 
tremely  handsome  —  European  coaches  with  fine 
horses  and  odd  liveries,  mingled  with  carriages  made 
in  the  country,  some  in  the  old  Mexican  fashion, 
heavy  and  covered  with  gilding,  or  a  modern  imita¬ 
tion  of  an  English  carriage,  strong  but  somewhat 
clumsy  and  ill-finished.  Various  hackney-coaches, 
drawn  by  mules,  are  seen  amongst  the  finer  equip¬ 
ages,  some  very  tolerable,  and  others  of  extraordinary 
form  and  dimensions,  which  bear  tokens  of  having 
belonged  in  former  days  to  some  noble  Don. 

Horses,  as  being  more  showy,  are  more  fashiona¬ 
ble  in  these  public  promenades  than  mules,  but  the 
latter  animal  requires  less  care,  and  is  capable  of  un¬ 
dergoing  more  fatigue  than  the  horse.  Most  families 
have  both  mules  and  horses  in  their  stable,  and  for 
those  who  visit  much,  this  is  necessary.  The  car¬ 
riages,  of  which  the  most  fashionable  seems  to  be  the 
carratela,  open  at  the  sides,  with  glass  windows,  are 
filled  with  ladies  in  full  toilette,  without  mantillas, 
their  heads  uncovered,  and,  generally,  coiffees  with 
flowers  or  jewels ;  but  the  generality  being  close 
coaches,  afford  but  an  indistinct  view  of  the  inmates, 
as  they  pass  along  saluting  each  other  with  their  fin¬ 
gers  or  fan.  The  whole  scene  on  the  evening  of  a 
fete,  is  exceedingly  brilliant,  but  very  monotonous. 
The  equestrians,  with  their  fine  horses  and  hand¬ 
some  Mexican  dresses,  apparently  take  no  notice  of 
the  ladies  as  they  pass,  rarely  salute  them,  and  never 


SMOKING. 


163 


venture  to  enter  into  conversation  with  them.  But 
they  are  well  aware  to  whom  each  carriage  belongs, 
and  consequently  when  it  behoves  them  to  make 
their  horses  curvet,  and  otherwise  show  off  their 
horsemanship  to  advantage.  Black  eyes  are  upon 
them,  and  they  know  it.  When  the  carriages  have 
made  two  or  three  turns,  they  draw  up  at  different 
stations  in  a  semicircle  a  little  off  the  road,  and  there 
the  inmates  sit  and  view  the  passers  by.  Occasional 
streams  of  smoke  may  be  seen  issuing  from  the  car¬ 
riages,  but  chiefly,  it  must  be  confessed,  from  the 
most  old-fashioned  equipages,  and  from  the  hackney- 
coaches.  Smoking  amongst  ladies  in  the  higher 
classes  is  going  very  much  out  of  fashion,  and  is 
rarely  practised  openly  except  by  elderly,  or  at  least 
by  married  ladies.  In  a  secondary  class,  indeed, 
young  and  old  inhale  the  smoke  of  their  cigaritos 
without  hesitation,  but  when  a  custom  begins  to  be 
considered  vulgar ,  it  will  hardly  subsist  another  gen¬ 
eration.  Unfeminine  as  it  is,  1  do  not  think  it  looks 
ungraceful  to  see  a  pretty  woman  smoke. 

This  Paseo  commands  a  fine  view  of  the  moun¬ 
tains,  but  I  greatly  prefer  the  Viga,  which  now  begins 
to  be  the  fashionable  promenade.  It  is  bordered  by 
a  canal,  shaded  by  trees,  which  leads  to  the  Chi- 
nampas,  and  is  constantly  covered  with  Indians  in 
their  canoes,  bringing  in  fruit  and  flowers  and  vege¬ 
tables  to  the  Mexican  market.  Early  in  the  morn¬ 
ing  it  is  a  pretty  sight  to  see  them  in  these  canoes 
gliding  along  in  a  perfect  bower  of  green  branches 
and  flowers. 

Yesterday,  on  returning  from  an  evening  drive 


164 


A  MURDER. 


there,  having  left  C - n  and  several  gentlemen  who 

had  dined  with  us,  taking  coffee  and  smoking  upon 
the  balcony,  I  found  that  by  good  fortune  I  had 
escaped  being  witness  of  a  murder  which  took  place 
before  our  door.  These  gentlemen  had  observed,  for 
some  time,  a  group  of  persons,  male  and  female,  of 
the  lower  class,  talking  and  apparently  amusing  them¬ 
selves  ;  sometimes  laughing,  and  at  other  times  dis¬ 
puting  and  giving  each  other  blows.  Suddenly,  one 
of  the  number,  a  man,  darted  out  from  amongst  the 
others,  and  tried  to  escape  by  clambering  over  the 
low  wall  which  supports  the  arches  of  the  aqueduct. 
Instantly,  and  quite  coolly,  another  man  followed 
him,  drew  his  knife,  and  stabbed  him  in  the  back. 
The  man  fell  backwards  with  a  groan,  upon  which 
a  woman  of  the  party,  probably  the  murderer’s  wife, 
drew  out  her  knife,  and  stabbed  the  man  several 
times  to  the  heart,  the  others,  meanwhile,  neither 
speaking  nor  interfering,  but  looking  on  with  folded 
arms,  and  their  usual  placid  smile  of  indifference. 

At  the  same  time,  some  soldiers  appeared  in  the 
distance,  riding  down  the  street,  seeing  which,  the 
man  and  woman  who  had  committed  the  murder, 
endeavored  to  take  shelter  in  our  house.  The  por¬ 
ter  had,  fortunately,  barred  the  doors,  and  the  sol¬ 
diers  riding  up,  took  them  both  into  custody.  No 
sensation  was  excited  by  this,  which  is  an  every¬ 
day  occurrence.  Yesterday  I  saw  a  dead  man  lying 
near  the  Longa  (the  Exchange)  and  nobody  took 
any  notice  of  him.  “You  have  been  engaged  in  a 

disagreeable  business,”  said  I  to  Colonel - ,  who 

had  come  to  pay  us  a  visit,  and  was  still  en  grande 


COUNTRY  FETE. 


165 


tenue,  having  just  returned  from  the  execution  of  one 
of  his  own  soldiers,  who  had  stabbed  a  comrade. 
“  Yes,”  said  he,  with  an  air  of  peculiar  gaiety  ;  “  we 

have  just  been  shooting  a  little  tambour.” . 

We  were  invited,  lately,  to  a  “  dia  de  campo,”  (a 
day  in  the  country,)  a  very  common  amusement 
here,  in  which,  without  any  peculiar  arrangement  or 
etiquette,  a  number  of  people  go  out  to  some  coun¬ 
try  place  in  the  environs,  and  spend  the  day  in 
dancing,  breakfasting,  walking  about,  &c.  This  was 
given  at  Tacubaya  by  Don  B - o  G - a,  a  sena¬ 

tor,  and  was  amusing  enough.  The  music  consisted 
of  a  band  of  guitars,  from  which  the  performers, 
common  men,  and  probably  self-taught,  contrived  to 
draw  wonderfully  good  music,  and,  in  the  intervals  of 
dancing,  played  airs  from  the  Straniera  and  Puritani. 
The  taste  for  music  is  certainly  universal,  the  facilities 
wonderful,  the  science  nearly  at  zero. 

The  ladies  in  general  wore  neither  diamonds  nor 
pearls,  but  a  sort  of  demi-toilette,  which  would  have 
been  pretty  if  their  dresses  had  been  longer  and  their 
shoes  not  so  tight.  Some  wore  bonnets,  which  are 

considered  full  dress.  The  E - family,  and  the 

young  Senora  de  C - ,  were  beautifully  dressed. 

Mexican  women,  when  they  sit,  have  an  air  of  great 
dignity,  and  the  most  perfect  repose  of  feature. 
They  are  always  to  be  seen  to  most  advantage  on 
their  sofas,  in  their  carriages,  or  in  their  boxes  at 
the  theatre. 

There  were  immensely  long  tables,  covered  with 
Mexican  cookery,  which  I  begin  to  get  accustomed 
to ;  and  a  great  many  toasts  were  given  and  a  great 


i 


166 


VISIT  TO  THE  COLEGIO  VIZCAINO. 


quantity  of  champagne  drank.  We  danced  a  great 
deal,  quadrilles,  waltzes  and  Spanish  country  dances, 
walked  about  in  the  garden  and  orchard  in  the  even¬ 
ing,  and  returned  to  dance  again  to  the  music  of  the 
indefatigable  guitars,  so  that  it  was  dusk  when  all  the 
carriages  set  off,  much  about  the  same  time,  to  bear 
each  other  company.  .  .  . 

The  following  day,  the  Countess  C - a  having 

been  kind  enough  to  procure  an  order  for  permission 
to  visit  the  Colegio  Vizcaino,  which  I  was  anxious  to 
see,  we  went  there  with  a  large  party.  This  col¬ 
lege,  founded  by  the  gratuitous  charities  of  Spaniards, 
chiefly  from  the  province  of  Biscay,  is  a  truly  splen¬ 
did  institution.  It  is  an  immense  building  of  stone, 
in  the  form  of  a  square,  on  the  model,  they  say,  of 
the  palace  of  Madrid,  and  possesses  in  the  highest 
degree  that  air  of  solidity  and  magnificence  which 
distinguishes  the  Mexican  edifices,  and  which,  toge¬ 
ther  with  the  width  and  regularity  of  the  streets,  the 
vastness  of  the  public  squares,  the  total  absence  of  all 
paltry  ornament,  the  balconies  with  their  balustrades 
and  window-gratings  of  solid  iron  and  bronze,  render 
Mexico,  in  spite  of  its  inefficient  police,  one  of  the 
noblest-looking  cities  in  the  world.  The  object  of 
this  college  is  to  provide  for  the  education  of  the 
children  of  Spaniards,  especially  for  the  descendants 
of  Biscayans,  in  Mexico  ;  a  certain  number  being 
admitted  upon  application  to  the  directors.  There 
are  female  teachers  in  all  the  necessary  branches, 
such  as  reading,  writing,  sewing,  arithmetic,  &c.  ; 
but  besides  this,  there  is  a  part  of  the  building  with 
a  separate  entrance,  where  the  children  of  the  poor, 


VISIT  TO  THE  COLEGIO  VIZCAINO. 


167 


of  whatever  country,  are  educated  gratis.  These 
spend  the  day  there,  and  go  home  in  the  evening. 
The  others  are  kept  upon  the  plan  of  a  convent,  and 
never  leave  the  institution  while  they  belong  to  it ; 
but  the  building  is  so  spacious  and  airy,  with  its 
great  galleries,  and  vast  court  and  fine  fountains, 
garden  and  spacious  azotea,  that  the  children  are 
perfectly  well  off.  There  are  portieres  and  sisters, 
pretty  much  as  in  a  convent ;  together  with  an  old 
respectable  Rectora ;  and  the  most  perfect  order 
and  cleanliness  prevails  through  the  whole  establish¬ 
ment. 

We  first  visited  the  poor  scholars,  passing  through 
the  large  halls  where  they  sat  with  their  teachers, 
divided  into  classes ;  sewing,  writing,  reading,  em¬ 
broidering,  or  casting  up  accounts,  which  last  accom¬ 
plishment  must,  I  think,  be  sorely  against  the  Mexi¬ 
can  genius.  One  of  the  teachers  made  a  little  girl 
present  me  with  a  hair  chain  which  she  had  just 
completed.  Great  order  and  decorum  prevailed. 
Amongst  the  permanent  scholars  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  institution,  there  are  some  who  embroider  aston¬ 
ishingly  well  —  surplices,  altar-hangings,  in  short,  all 
the  church  vestments,  in  gold  or  silk.  In  the  room 
where  these  are  kept,  are  the  confessionals  for  the 
pupils.  The  priests  are  in  a  separate  room,  and  the 
penitents  kneel  before  the  grating,  which  separates 
the  two  apartments.  All  the  sleeping-rooms  are 
scrupulously  neat  and  clean,  with  two  green  painted 
beds  in  each,  and  a  small  parlor  off  it,  and  frequently 
ornamented  with  flowers  and  birds.  The  girls  are 
taught  to  cook  and  iron  and  make  themselves  gene- 


168 


VISIT  TO  THE  COLEGIO  VIZCAINO. 


rally  useful,  thus  being  fitted  to  become  excellent 
wives  to  respectable  men  in  their  own  rank  of  life. 

We  visited  the  chapel,  which  is  extremely  rich  and 
handsome,  encrusted  with  gilding,  and  very  large. 
The  pupils  and  their  teachers  attend  mass  in  the 
gallery  above,  which  looks  down  upon  the  chapel  and 
has  a  grating  before  it.  Here  they  have  the  organ, 
and  various  shrines,  saints,  nacimientos,  &c.  We 
were  afterwards  shown  into  a  great  hall,  devoted  to 
a  different  purpose,  containing  at  one  end  a  small 
theatre  for  the  pupils  to  act  plays  in.  All  the  walls 
of  the  long  galleries  are  covered  with  old  paintings 
on  holy  subjects,  but  many  of  them  falling  to  pieces 
from  damp  or  want  of  care.  The  building  seems  in¬ 
terminable,  and,  after  wandering  all  through  it  for 
several  hours,  and  visiting  every  tiling —  from  the  old 
garden  below,  where  they  gave  me  a  large  bunch  of 
roses  and  carnations,  to  the  azotea  above,  which 
looks  down  upon  every  street  and  church  and  con¬ 
vent  in  Mexico  —  we  were  not  sorry  to  rest  on  the 
antique  high-backed  chairs  of  a  handsome  apartment, 
of  which  the  walls  were  hung  with  the  portraits  of 
the  different  Spanish  directors  of  the  college,  in  an¬ 
cient  court  costume.  Here  we  found  that  the  direc¬ 
tors  had  prepared  a  beautiful  collation  for  us  —  fruit, 
ices,  cakes,  custards,  jellies,  wines,  &c.,  in  great 
profusion. 

Rested  and  refreshed,  we  proceeded  to  visit  the 
pupils  at  their  different  classes.  At  the  writing-class 
various  specimens  of  that  polite  art  were  presented 
to  us.  That  of  the  elder  girls  was  generally  bad, 
probably  from  their  having  entered  the  college  late  in 


LA  JOTA. 


169 


life.  That  of  the  younger  ones  was  much  more  toler¬ 
able.  We  saw  some  really  beautiful  specimens  of 
embroidery.  Having  returned  to  the  hall,  where  there 
was  a  piano,  some  of  our  party  began  to  sing  and 
play.  The  Sehora  G — — o  sang  an  Italian  air  beauti¬ 
fully.  She  is  evidently  a  scientific  musician.  The 

Senorita  H - s  played  one  of  Herz’s  most  difficult 

combinations  with  great  execution,  and  a  pretty  girl, 
who  is  living  in  the  convent,  having  been  placed  there 
by  her  novio,  to  keep  her  out  of  harm’s  way  till  he 
is  prepared  to  give  her  his  hand,  sang  a  duet  with 
another  young  lady,  which  I  accompanied.  Both  had 
fine  voices,  but  no  notion  of  what  they  were  sing¬ 
ing.  My  friend,  the  Sehora  C - —  delighted  us  with 

some  of  the  innumerable  and  amusing  verses  of  the 
Jota  Arragonesa,  which  seem  to  have  neither  end  nor 
beginning,  all  gay  and  all  untranslatable,  or  at  least 
losing  their  point  and  wit  when  put  into  an  English 
dress.  Such  as 

A  poor  man  met  with  a  sixpence, 

And  for  joy  he  gave  up  the  ghost, 

And  in  the  troubles  of  death, 

Even  his  sixpence  was  lost. 


The  woman  who  loves  two  at  once 
Knows  what  is  discreet  and  right, 
Since  if  one  of  her  candles  goes  out 
Still  the  other  remains  alight,  &c. 


It  is  impossible  to  see  any  building  of  this  size  kept 
more  perfectly  clean  and  neat ;  generally  the  case 
here  in  all  establishments  which  are  under  petticoat 
government.  These  old  Spanish  institutions  are  cer-> 

15 


VOL.  I. 


170 


SOLDIERS. 


tainly  on  a  magnificent  scale,  though  now  for  the 
most  part  neglected,  and  falling  to  ruin  ;  nor  has  any 
work  of  great  consequence  been  attempted  since  the 
independence.  .  .  . 

After  various  alarms  and  rumors  in  our  house,  con¬ 
cerning  robbers,  some  true,  some  exaggerated,  and 
some  wholly  false,  we  have  at  length  procured  two 
old  Spanish  soldiers  of  the  Invalidos,  who  have  taken 
up  their  quarters  down  stairs  ;  and  spend  their  time 
in  cleaning  their  guns,  making  shoes,  eating  and  sleep¬ 
ing,  but  as  yet  have  had  no  occasion  to  prove  their 
valor.  Perhaps  the  fact  of  there  being  soldiers  in 
the  house  will  be  sufficient  to  keep  off  the  more  ordi¬ 
nary  robbers. 


LETTER  THE  TWELFTH. 


The  Yiga  during  the  Carnival  —  Variety  of  equipages  —  The 
millionaires  —  The  monks  —  Masked  ball  —  An  alarming  sight 
—  Medical  students  —  Dinner  at  the  Prussian  Minister’s  — 
Rides  on  horseback  —  Indian  love  of  flowers  —  Santa  Anita  — 
The  Chinampas  —  Their  origin  —  Indians  in  canoes  —  Song  of 
“  El  Palomo  ”  —  Fighting  —  The  Great  Lakes  —  The  Drain  of 
Huehuetoca  —  The  great  market  of  TIatelolco. 


16th  March. 

We  are  now  in  Lent,  in  the  midst  of  prayer,  church¬ 
going  and  fasting.  The  carnival  was  not  very  gay, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  public  masked  balls,  and 
very  brilliant  paseos.  The  Viga  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  promenades  imaginable,  though  it  might 
easily  be  rendered  still  more  .so  ;  but  even  as  it  is, 
with  its  fine  shady  trees  and  canal,  along  which  the 
lazy  canoes  are  constantly  gliding,  it  would  be  diffi¬ 
cult,  on  a  fine  evening,  just  before  sunset,  especially 
on  the  evening  of  a  fete-day,  to  find  anywhere  a 
prettier  or  more  characteristic  scene.  Which  rank  of 
society  shows  the  most  taste  in  their  mode  of  enjoy¬ 
ment,  must  be  left  to  the  scientific  to  determine ;  the 
Indians,  with  their  flower-garlands  and  guitars,  lying 
in  their  canoes,  and  dancing  and  singing  after  their 
own  fashion,  as  they  glide  along  the  water,  inhaling 
the  balmy  breezes  ;  or  the  ladies,  who,  shut  up  in 
their  close  carriages,  promenade  along  in  full  dress 


172 


THE  VIGA. 


and  silence  for  a  given  space  of  time,  acknowledging, 
by  a  gentle  movement  of  their  fan,  the  salutations  of 
their  fair  friends  from  the  recesses  of  their  coaches, 
and  seeming  to  dread  lest  the  air  of  heaven  should 
visit  them  too  roughly  ;  though  the  soft  breeze,  laden 
with  balm  steals  over  the  sleepy  water,  and  the  last 
rays  of  the  sun  are  gilding  the  branches  of  the  trees 
with  a  broken  and  flickering  light.  .  .  . 

Then  at  certain  intervals  of  time,  each  carriage 
solemnly  draws  up  beside  its  neighbor,  (as  in  the 
other  paseo)  ;  the  elegant  carratela  beside  the  ple¬ 
beian  hackney-coach  ;  the  splendid  equipage  of  the 
millionaire  beside  the  lumbering  and  antique  vehicle 
whose  fashion  hath  now  departed.  There  sit  the 
inmates  in  silence,  as  if  the  business  of  life  were 
over,  and  it  was  now  their  part  to  watch  the  busy 
world  from  the  loop-holes  of  their  retreat,  and  see  it 
rolling  along,  whilst  they  take  their  rest.  The  gentle¬ 
men  also  draw  up  their  prancing  steeds,  though  not 
within  hail  of  the  carriages,  but  they  in  the  fresh  air 
and  under  the  green  trees  have  as  much  advantage 
over  the  Sehoras  as  the  wandering  friar  has  over  the 
cloistered  nun. 

Yet  enter  the  Viga  about  five  o’clock,  when  freshly 
watered,  and  the  soldiers  have  taken  their  stand  to 
prevent  disturbances,  and  two  long  lines  of  carriages 
are  to  be  seen  going  and  returning,  as  far  as  the  eye 
can  reach,  and  hundreds  of  gay  plebeians  are  assem¬ 
bled  on  the  sidewalks,  with  flowers  and  fruit  and 
dulces  for  sale,  and  innumerable  equestrians  in  pic¬ 
turesque  dresses,  and  with  spirited  horses,  fill  up  the 
interval  between  the  carriages,  and  the  canoes  are 


THE  VIGA. 


173 


covering  the  canal,  the  Indians  singing  and  dancing 
lazily  as  the  boats  steal  along,  and  the  whole  under 
the  blue  and  cloudless  sky,  and  in  that  pure,  clear 
atmosphere ;  and  could  you  only  shut  your  eyes  to 
the  one  disagreeable  feature  in  the  picture,  the  num¬ 
ber  of  leperos  busy  in  the  exercise  of  their  vocation, 
you  would  believe  that  Mexico  must  be  the  most 
flourishing,  most  enjoyable,  and  most  peaceful  place 
in  the  world,  and  moreover  the  wealthiest;  not  a 
republic  certainly,  for  there  is  no  well-dressed  peo¬ 
ple  ;  hardly  a  connecting  link  between  the  blankets 
and  the  satins,  the  poppies  and  the  diamonds.  As 
for  the  carriages,  many  would  not  disgrace  Hyde- 
Park,  though  there  are  that  would  send  a  shiver  all 
along  Bond  street ;  but  the  very  contrast  is  amusing, 
and  upon  the  whole,  both  as  to  horses  and  equipages, 
there  is  much  more  to  admire  than  to  criticise.  .  .  . 

There,  for  example,  is  the  handsome  carriage  of 

the  rich - ,  who  has  one  of  the  finest  houses 

in  Mexico ;  his  wife  wears  a  velvet  turban  twisted 
with  large  pearls,  and  has  at  this  moment  a  cigar  in 
her  mouth.  She  is  not  pretty,  but  her  jewels  are 
superb.  How  he  made  his  fortune,  partly  by  gam¬ 
bling,  and  partly  by  even  less  honorable  means,  let 
some  abler  chronicler  relate.  Or  look  at  this  elegant 
carratela,  with  its  glass  sides  all  opened,  giving  to 
view  a  constellation  of  fair  ones,  and  drawn  by 
handsome  gray  frisones.  These  ladies  are  remarka¬ 
ble  as  having  a  more  European  air  than  most  others, 
brighter  colors,  longer  and  simpler  dresses,  and  Paris 
bonnets.  Perhaps  they  have  been  in  Europe.  It 
15* 


174 


MILLIONAIRES. 


is  remarkable  that  the  horses  of  the  gentlemen 
all  appear  peculiarly  unmanageable  every  time  they 
pass  this  carriage.  Another  handsome,  plain  car¬ 
riage,  containing  the  family  of  one  of  the  minis¬ 
ters  ;  mother  and  daughters,  all  beautiful,  with  Span¬ 
ish  eyes  and  dark  glowing  complexions,  followed 
close  by  a  hackney-coach  containing  women  with 
rebosos,  and  little  children,  with  their  faces  and 


fingers  all  bedaubed  with  candy .  Some  of 

the  coachmen  and  footmen  wear  Mexican  dresses, 
and  others  have  liveries .  But  here  come 


three  carriages  en  suite,  all  with  the  same  crimson 
and  gold  livery,  all  luxurious,  and  all  drawn  by 
handsome  white  horses.  Is  it  the  President  ?  Cer¬ 
tainly  not ;  it  is  too  ostentatious.  Even  royalty  goes 
in  simpler  guise,  when  it  condescends  to  mingle  in 
the  amusements  of  its  subjects.  In  the  first  carriage 
appear  the  great  man  himself  and  his  consort,  rather 
withdrawing  from  the  plebeian  gaze.  There  is  here 
much  crimson  and  gold,  much  glass  and  well-stuffed 
cushions,  much  comfort  and  magnificence  combined. 
Two  handsome  northern  steeds,  white  and  prancing, 
draw  this  commodious  equipage.  The  next  is  a 
splendid  coach,  containing  the  children  and  servants, 
while  in  the  third  equally  magnificent,  are  the  babies 
and  nurses.  By  the  side  of  the  first  carriage  rides 
an  elderly  gentleman,  who,  were  his  seat  firmer, 
might  be  mistaken  for  a  picador.  He  wears  a  rich 
Mexican  dress,  all  covered  with  gold  embroidery  ; 
his  hat  with  gold  rolls  is  stuck  jauntily  on  one  side, 
contrasting  oddly  enough  with  his  uneasy  expression 


MONKS. 


175 


of  countenance,  probably  caused  by  the  inward  trep¬ 
idation  of  which  he  cannot  wholly  repress  the  out¬ 
ward  sign  while  managing  his  high-bred  steed,  and 
with  his  feet  pressing  his  silver  stirrups,  cautiously 
touching  him  with  a  whip  which  has  a  large  diamond 
in  the  handle. 

But  the  chief  wonder  of  his  equipment,  and  that 
which  has  procured  him  such  a  retinue  of  little  rag¬ 
ged  and  shouting  boys,  is  his  saddle.  This  extraor¬ 
dinary  piece  of  furniture,  which  cost  the  owner  five 
thousand  dollars,  is  entirely  covered  with  velvet, 
richly  embossed  in  massive  gold ;  he  sometimes  ap¬ 
pears  with  another,  inlaid  with  pure  silver. 

His  whole  appearance  is  the  most  singular  imag¬ 
inable,  and  the  perturbation  of  spirit  in  which  he 
must  return  when  it  begins  to  grow  dusk,  and  he  re¬ 
flects  at  once  upon  his  own  value,  and  his  country¬ 
men’s  taste  for  appropriation,  must  balance  the  en¬ 
joyment  which  his  vanity  receives  from  the  admira¬ 
tion  of  the  little  boys  in  the  Paseo. 

Just  as  these  millionaires  pass  by,  an  old  hack¬ 
ney-coach  in  their  wake,  attracts  our  attention,  ex¬ 
actly  the  sort  of  quaint  old  vehicle  in  which  it  some¬ 
times  pleases  Lady  Morgan  to  introduce  her  heroines. 
In  it  are  six  figures,  closely  masked,  their  faces  cov¬ 
ered  with  shawls.  After  many  conjectures,  it  is  im¬ 
possible  to  guess  whether  they  are  men  or  women. 
It  ivas  impossible,  but  as  the  carriages  return,  the  wind 
suddenly  blows  aside  the  shawls  of  two  of  the  party, 
and  discloses  the  gowns  and  hoods  of  the  —  friars! 
O  tempora  !  O  mores  !  ...  . 

There  were  three  masked  balls  at  the  theatre,  of 


176 


MASKED  BALL. 


which  we  only  attended  one.  We  went  about  ten 
o’clock  to  a  box  on  the  pit  tier,  and  although  a 
pronunciamiento  (the  fashionable  term  here  for  a  rev¬ 
olution)  was  prognosticated,  we  found  everything 
very  quiet  and  orderly,  and  the  ball  very  gay  and 
crowded.  As  we  came  in,  and  were  giving  our 
tickets,  a  number  of  masks  came  springing  by, 
shrieking  out  our  names  in  their  unearthly  voices. 

Captain  G - ,  brother  of  Lord - ,  came  to  our 

box  ;  also  a  scion  of  La  jeune  France,  M.  de  C - , 

who  condescendingly  kept  his  hat  on  during  the  whole 
evening.  In  a  box  directly  above  us,  were  the  French 
legation  who  arrived  lately.  Amongst  the  women,  the 
dresses  were  for  the  most  part  dominos,  adopted  for 
greater  concealment,  as  it  was  not  considered  very 
creditable  to  be  there. 

There  were  also  several  in  men’s  attire,  chiefly 
French  modistes,  generally  a  most  disreputable  set 
here,  and  numerous  men  dressed  as  women.  There 
were  masked  Poblanas  without  stockings,  and  with 
very  short  petticoats  ;  knights  in  armor  ;  innumerable 
dresses  probably  borrowed  from  the  theatre,  and 
even  more  than  the  usual  proportion  of  odd  figures. 
The  music  was  very  good,  and  the  dancers  waltzed 
and  galloped,  and  flew  round  the  room  like  furies. 
There  was  at  least  no  want  of  animation.  Hundreds 
of  masks  spoke  to  us,  but  I  discovered  no  one.  One 
in  a  domino  was  peculiarly  anxious  to  direct  my  at¬ 
tention  to  the  Poblana  dress,  and  asked  me  if  it 
would  have  done  for  me  to  attend  the  fancy  ball  in 
such  a  costume.  Very  angry  at  his  absurdity,  I  be¬ 
gan  to  explain  how  I  should  have  dressed,  when  I 


VAGUE  FEARS. 


177 


recollected  the  folly  of  explaining  anything  to  a 

creature  whom  I  did  not  know.  C - n  stepped  out 

of  the  box,  to  walk  amongst  the  crowd,  at  which 
various  masks  shewed  great  signs  of  joy,  surrounding 
and  shaking  hands  with  him. 

The  boxes  were  filled  with  ladies,  and  the  scene 
was  very  amusing.  Sehor  M — — ,  whose  box  we  oc¬ 
cupied,  ordered  in  cakes  and  wine,  and  about  one 
o’clock  we  left  the  ball-room  and  returned  home,  one 
of  our  old  soldiers  acting  as  lackey . 

I  paid  a  visit  the  other  day,  which  merits  to  be  re¬ 
corded.  It  was  to  the  rich  Sehora - ,  whose  first 

visit  I  had  not  yet  returned.  She  was  at  home,  and 
I  was  shewn  into  a  very  large  drawing-room,  where, 
to  my  surprise,  I  found  the  lamps,  mirrors,  &c.,  co¬ 
vered  with  black  crape,  as  in  cases  of  mourning  here. 
I  concluded  that  some  one  of  the  family  was  dead, 
and  that  I  had  made  a  very  ill-timed  first  visit. 
However,  I  sat  down,  when  my  eyes  were  instantly 
attracted  by  something  awful,  placed  directly  in  front 
of  the  sofa  where  I  sat.  There  were  six  chairs 
ranged  together,  and  on  these  lay  stretched  out  a 
figure,  apparently  a  dead  body,  about  six  feet  long, 
enveloped  in  a  black  cloth,  the  feet  alone  visible, 
from  their  pushing  up  the  cloth.  Oh  horror  !  Here 
I  sat,  my  eyes  fixed  upon  this  mysterious  apparition, 
and  lost  in  conjecture  as  to  whose  body  it  might  be. 
The  master  of  the  house  ?  He  was  very  tall,  and 
being  in  bad  health  might  have  died  suddenly.  My 
being  received,  argued  nothing  against  this,  since  the 
first  nine  days  after  a  death,  the  house  is  invariably 
crowded  with  friends  and  acquaintances,  and  the 


178 


EXPLANATION. 


widow,  or  orphan,  or  childless  mother  must  receive 
the  condolences  of  all  and  sundry,  in  the  midst  of  her 
first  bitter  sorrow.  There  seems  to  be  no  idea  of 
grief  wishing  for  solitude. 

Pending  these  reflections,  I  sat  uneasily,  feeling  or 
fancying  a  heavy  air  in  the  apartment,  and  wishing, 
most  sincerely,  that  some  living  person  would  enter. 
I  thought  even  of  slipping  away,  but  feared  to  give 
offence,  and  in  fact  began  to  grow  so  nervous,  that 

when  the  Senora  de - entered  at  length,  I  started 

up  as  if  I  had  heard  a  pistol.  She  wore  a  colored 
muslin  gown  and  a  blue  shawl ;  no  signs  of  mourn¬ 
ing  ! 

After  the  usual  complimentary  preface,  I  asked 
particularly  after  her  husband,  keeping  a  side  glance 
on  the  mysterious  figure.  He  was  pretty  well.  Her 
family?  Just  recovered  from  the  small  pox,  after  be¬ 
ing  severely  ill.  “  Not  dangerously  ?  ”  said  I,  hesi¬ 
tatingly,  thinking  she  might  have  a  tall  son,  and  that 
she  alluded  to  the  recovery  of  the  others.  “  No 
but  her  sister’s  children  had  been  alarmingly  ill. 
t<?Not  lost  any,  I  hope?” — “None.”  Well,  so 
taken  up  was  I,  that  conversation  flagged,  and  I  an¬ 
swered  and  asked  questions  at  random,  until,  at  last, 
I  happened  to  ask  the  lady  if  she  were  going  to  the 
country  soon.  “  Not  to  remain.  But  to-morrow  we 
are  going  to  convey  a  Santo  Cristo  (a  figure  of  the 
Crucifixion)  there,  which  has  just  been  made  for  the 
chapel glancing  towards  the  figure,  “  for  which 
reason  this  room  is,  as  you  see,  hung  with  black.” 
I  never  felt  so  relieved  in  my  life,  and  thought  of  the 
Mysteries  of  Udolpho. 


DINNER  PARTY. 


179 


The  houses  being  so  large,  and  the  servants  not 
drilled  to  announce  visiters  ;  besides  that  the  entre¬ 
sols  are  frequently  let  to  other  families,  it  is  a  matter 
of  no  small  difficulty  for  a  stranger  to  pioneer  him  or 
herself  into  the  presence  of  the  people  of  the  house. 
The  mistakes  that  I  have  made  !  for  not  being  aware 
of  this  fact  concerning  the  entresols,  which  are  often 
large  and  handsome,  and  the  porter  having  begged 
me  to  walk  up,  I  generally  stopped  at  the  first  land¬ 
ing-place,  and  then  walked  up  to  the  first  door  that  I 
saw.  I  did  walk  in  one  morning  upon  two  gentle¬ 
men,  who  seemed  marvellously  startled  by  my  visit. 
They  looked  like  two  medical  students,  and  were  en¬ 
gaged  before  a  table,  Heaven  knows  how  ;  dissect¬ 
ing,  I  imagine.  I  inquired  for  the  Senora  - , 

which  astonished  them  still  more,  as  well  it  might. 
However,  they  were  very  civil,  and  rushed  down 
stairs  to  call  up  the  carriage.  After  that  adventure, 
I  never  entered  a  house  unaccompanied  by  a  foot¬ 
man,  until  I  had  learnt  my  way  through  it. 

We  had  a  pleasant  dinner-party  a  few  days  ago  at 

the  Prussian  Minister’s,  and  met  the  C - s  family 

there.  The  Condesa  de  C - ,  has  been  a  long 

while  in  Europe,  and  in  the  best  society,  and  is 
now  entirely  devoted  to  the  education  of  her  daugh¬ 
ters,  giving  them  every  advantage  that  Mexico  can 
afford,  in  the  way  of  masters,  besides  having 
at  home  a  Spanish  governess,  to  assist  her,  an 
excellent  woman,  whom  they  regard  as  a  second 
mother. 

Though  there  is  very  little  going  on  in  Mexico  at 
present,  I  amuse  myself  very  well  ;  there  is  so  much 


180 


CANOES. 


to  see,  and  the  people  are  so  kind  and  friendly. 
Having  got  riding  horses,  we  have  been  making 
excursions  all  round  the  country,  especially  early  in 
the  morning,  before  the  sun  is  high,  when  the  air  is 
delightfully  cool  and  refreshing.  Sometimes  we  go 
to  the  Viga  at  six  in  the  morning,  to  see  the  Indians 
bringing  in  their  flowers  and  vegetables,  by  the  canal. 
The  profusion  of  sweet  pease,  double  poppies,  blue 
bottles,  stock  gilly-flower,  and  roses,  I  never  saw 
equalled.  Each  Indian  woman,  in  her  canoe,  looks 
as  if  seated  in  a  floating  flower-garden.  The  same 
love  of  flowers  distinguishes  them  now,  as  in  the  time 
of  Cortes  ;  the  same  which  Humboldt  remarked  cen¬ 
turies  afterwards.  In  the  evening,  these  Indian 
women,  in  their  canoes,  are  constantly  crowned  with 
garlands  of  roses  or  poppies.  Those  who  sit  in  the 
market,  selling  their  fruit  or  their  vegetables,  appear 
as  if  they  sat  in  bowers  formed  of  fresh  green 
branches  and  colored  flowers.  In  the  poorest  village 
church  the  floor  is  strewed  with  flowers,  and  before 
the  service  begins,  fresh  nosegays  are  brought  in  and 
arranged  upon  the  altar.  The  baby  at  its  christen¬ 
ing,  the  bride  at  the  altar,  the  dead  body  in  its  bier, 
all  are  adorned  with  flowers.  We  are  told  that  in 
the  days  of  Cortes,  a  bouquet  of  rare  flowers  was  the 
most  valuable  gift  presented  to  the  ambassadors  who 
visited  the  court  of  Montezuma,  and  it  presents  a 
strange  anomaly,  this  love  of  flowers  having  existed 
along  with  their  sanguinary  worship  and  barbarous 
sacrifices. 

We  went  the  other  evening  on  the  canal,  in  a 
large  canoe,  with  an  awning,  as  far  as  the  little  village 


THE  CHINAMPAS. 


181 


of  Santa  Anita,  and  saw,  for  the  first  time,  the  far- 
famed  Chinampas,  or  floating  gardens,  which  have 
now  become  fixtures,  and  are  covered  with  vegeta¬ 
bles,  intermingled  with  flowers,  with  a  few  poor  huts 
beside  them,  occupied  by  the  Indians,  who  bring 
these  to  the  city  for  sale.  There  were  cauliflowers, 
chili,  tomatoes,  cabbages,  and  other  vegetables,  but  I 
was  certainly  disappointed  in  their  beauty.  They 
are  however,  curious,  on  account  of  their  origin. 
So  far  back  as  1245  it  is  said,  the  wandering  Az¬ 
tecs  or  Mexicans  arrived  first  at  Chapultepec,  when, 
being  persecuted  by  the  princes  of  Taltocan,  they 
took  refuge  in  a  group  of  islands  to  the  south  of  the 
lake  of  Tezcuco.  Falling  under  the  yoke  of  the 
Tezcucan  kings,  they  abandoned  their  island  home, 
and  fled  to  Tezapan,  where,  as  a  reward  for  assisting 
the  chiefs  of  that  country  in  a  war  against  other  pet¬ 
ty  princes,  they  received  their  freedom,  and  establish¬ 
ed  themselves  in  a  city  to  which  they  gave  the  name 
of  Mexicalsingo,  from  Mejitli,  their  god  of  war  — -  now 
a  collection  of  strong  barns  and  poor  huts.  But  they 
did  not  settle  there,  for  to  obey  an  oracle  they  trans¬ 
ported  themselves  from  this  city  to  the  islands  east  of 
Chapultepec,  to  the  western  side  of  the  lake  of  Tez¬ 
cuco.  An  ancient  tradition  had  long  been  current 
amongst  them,  that  wherever  they  should  behold  an 
eagle  seated  upon  a  nopal  whose  roots  pierced  a 
rock,  there  they  should  found  a  great  city.  In  1325 
they  beheld  this  sign,  and  on  the  spot,  in  an  island 
in  the  lake,  founded  the  first  house  of  God  —  the 
Teocalli  or  Great  Temple  of  Mexico.  During  all 
their  wanderings,  wherever  they  stopped,  the  Aztecs 
16 


VOL.  I. 


182 


THEIR  ORIGIN. 


cultivated  the  earth,  and  lived  upon  what  nature 
gave  them.  Surrounded  by  enemies,  and  in  the 
midst  of  a  lake  where  there  are  few  fish,  necessity 
and  industry  compelled  them  to  form  floating  fields 
and  gardens  on  the  bosom  of  the  waters. 

They  weaved  together  the  roots  of  aquatic  plants, 
intertwined  with  twigs  and  light  branches,  until  they 
had  formed  a  foundation  sufficiently  strong  to  sup¬ 
port  a  soil  formed  of  the  earth  which  they  drew  from 
the  bottom  of  the  lake  ;  and  on  it  they  sowed  their 
maize,  their  chili,  and  all  other  plants  necessary  for 
their  support.  These  floating  gardens  were  about  a 
foot  above  the  water,  and  in  the  form  of  a  long 
square.  Afterwards,  in  their  natural  taste  for  flow¬ 
ers,  they  not  only  cultivated  the  useful  but  the  orna¬ 
mental,  and  these  small  gardens  multiplying,  were 
covered  with  flowers  and  aromatic  herbs,  which  were 
used  in  the  worship  of  the  gods,  or  were  sent  to 
ornament  the  palace  of  the  emperor.  The  Chinam- 
pas  along  the  canal  of  the  Viga,  are  no  longer  float¬ 
ing  gardens,  but  fixed  to  the  main  land,  in  the  marshy 
grounds  lying  between  the  two  great  lakes  of  Chaleo 
and  Tezcuco.  A  small  trench  full  of  water  sepa¬ 
rates  each  garden  ;  and  though  now  in  this  marshy 
land  they  give  but  a  faint  idea  of  what  they  may 
have  been,  when  they  raised  their  flowef-crowned 
heads  above  the  clear  waters  of  the  lake,  and  when 
the  Indians,  in  their  barks,  wishing  to  remove  their 
habitations,  could  tow  along  their  little  islands  of 
roses,  it  is  still  a  pretty  and  a  pleasant  scene. 

We  bought  numerous  garlands  of  roses  and  pop¬ 
pies  from  the  Indian  children,  both  here  and  at  Santa 


183 


THE  “  PALOMO.” 

Anita,  a  little  village  where  we  landed,  and  as  we 
returned  towards  evening,  we  were  amused  by  the 
singing  and  dancing  of  the  Indians.  One  canoe 
came  close  up  to  ours,  and  kept  beside  it  for  some 
time.  A  man  was  lying  lazily  at  the  bottom  of  the 
boat,  tingling  his  guitar,  and  one  or  two  women  were 
dancing  monotonously  and  singing  at  the  same  time 
to  his  music.  Sundry  jars  of  pulque  and  earthen 
dishes  with  tortillas  and  chili  and  pieces  of  tasajo, 
long  festoons  of  dried  and  salted  beef,  proved  that 
the  party  were  not  without  their  solid  comforts,  in 
spite  of  the  romantic  guitar,  and  the  rose  and  poppy 
garlands  with  which  the  dancing  nymphs  were 
crowned.  Amongst  others,  they  performed  the  Pa- 
lomo,  the  Dove,  one  of  their  most  favorite  dances. 
The  music  is  pretty,  and  I  send  it  you  with  the 
words,  the  music  from  ear ;  the  words  are  given  me 

by  my  friend,  the  Senora  A - d,  who  sings  all  these 

little  Indian  airs  in  perfection.  If  we  may  form  some 
judgment  of  a  people’s  civilization  by  their  ballads, 
none  of  the  Mexican  songs  give  us  a  very  high  idea 
of  theirs.  The  words  are  generally  a  tissue  of  ab¬ 
surdities,  nor  are  there  any  patriotic  songs,  which 
their  new-born  freedom  might  have  called  forth  from 
so  musical  a  people.  At  least  I  have  as  yet  only  dis¬ 
covered  one  air  of  which  the  words  bear  reference 
to  the  glorious  “  Grito  de  Dolores,”  and  which  as¬ 
serts  in  rhyme  that  on  account  of  that  memorable 
event,  the  Indian  was  able  to  get  as  drunk  as  a 
Christian !  The  translation  of  the  Palomo  is  as 
follows : 

“  What  are  you  doing,  little  dove,  there  in  the  wine- 


184  THE  “PALOMO.” 

shop  ?  Waiting  for  my  love,  until  Tuesday  my  life. 
A  dove  in  flying,  hurt  her  little  wing.  If  you  have 
your  dove,  I  have  my  little  dove  too.  A  dove  in 
flying,  all  her  feathers  fell  off.  Women  pay  badly ; 
not  all,  but  some  of  them.  Little  dove  of  the  bar¬ 
racks,  you  will  tell  the  drummers,  when  they  beat  the 
retreat,  to  strike  up  the  march  of  my  loves.  Little 
dove,  what  are  you  doing  there,  leaning  against  that 
wall?  Waiting  for  my  dove,  till  he  brings  me  some¬ 
thing  to  eat.”  At  the  end  of  each  verse,  the  chorus 
of  “  Palomita,  palomo,  palomo.” 

Yet,  monotonous  as  it  is,  the  air  is  so  pretty,  the 
women  sang  so  softly  and  sleepily,  the  music  sounded 
so  soothingly  as  we  glided  along  the  water,  that  I 
felt  in  a  pleasant  half-dreamy  state  of  perfect  con¬ 
tentment,  and  was  sorry  when  arriving  at  the  land¬ 
ing  place,  we  had  to  return  to  a  carriage  and  civil¬ 
ized  life,  with  nothing  but  the  garlands  of  flowers  to 
remind  us  of  the  Chinampas. 

Unfortunately,  these  people  generally  end  by 
too  frequent  applications  to  the  jarro  of  pulque,  or 
what  is  worse,  to  the  pure  spirit  known  by  the  name 
of  chinguirite  ;  the  consequence  of  which  is,  that 
from  music  and  dancing,  and  rose-becrowning,  they 
proceed  to  quarrelling  and  jealousy,  and  drunken¬ 
ness,  which  frequently  terminates  in  their  fighting, 
stabbing  each  other,  or  throwing  each  other  into  the 
canal.  “  The  end  crowns  the  work.” 

Noble  as  this  present  city  of  Mexico  is,  one  cannot 
help  thinking  how  much  more  picturesque  the  an¬ 
cient  Tenochtitlan  was,  and  how  much  more  fertile 
its  valley  must  have  been,  on  account  of  the  great 


185 


THE  “  DESAGUE.” 

lakes.  Yet  even  in  the  time  of  Cortes,  these  lakes 
had  no  great  depth  of  water,  and  still  further  back, 
in  the  time  of  the  Indian  Emperors,  navigation  had 
been  so  frequently  interrupted  in  seasons  of  drought, 
that  an  aqueduct  had  been  constructed  in  order  to 
supply  the  canals  with  water. 

After  this  the  Spaniards,  like  all  new  settlers, 
hewed  down  the  fine  trees  in  this  beautiful  valley, 
both  on  plain  and  mountain,  leaving  the  bare  soil 
exposed  to  the  vertical  rays  of  the  sun.  Then  their 
well-founded  dread  of  inundation  caused  them  to 
construct  the  famous  Desague  of  Huehuetoca,  the 
drain  or  subterranean  conduit  or  channel  in  the 
mountain,  for  drawing  off  the  waters  of  the  lakes, 
thus  leaving  marshy  lands  or  sterile  plains  covered  with 
carbonate  of  soda,  where  formerly  were  silver  lakes  cov¬ 
ered  with  canoes.  This  last  was  a  necessary  evil,  since 
the  Indian  Emperors  themselves  were  sensible  of  its 
necessity,  and  had  formed  great  works  for  draining 
the  lakes,  some  remains  of  which  works  still  exist  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  Penon.  The  great  Desague  was 
begun  in  1607,  when  the  Marquis  of  Salinas  was 
Viceroy  of  Mexico ;  and  the  operations  were  com¬ 
menced  with  great  pomp,  the  Viceroy  assisting  in 
person,  mass  being  said  on  a  portable  altar,  and  fif¬ 
teen  hundred  workmen  assembled,  while  the  Mar¬ 
quis  himself  began  the  excavation  by  giving  the  first 
stroke  with  a  spade.  From  1607  to  1830,  eight  mil¬ 
lions  of  dollars  were  expended,  and  yet  this  great 
work  was  not  brought  to  a  conclusion.  However, 
the  limits  of  the  two  lakes  of  Zumpango  and  San 
Cristobal,  to  the  north  of  the  valley,  were  thus  greatly 
18* 


186 


SAN  LAZARO. 


reduced,  and  the  lake  of  Tezcuco,  the  most  beautiful 
of  all  the  five,  no  longer  received  their  contributions. 
Thus  the  danger  of  inundations  has  diminished,  but 
water  and  vegetation  have  diminished  also,  and  the 
suburbs  of  the  city,  which  were  formerly  covered  with 
beautiful  gardens,  now  present  to  the  eye  an  arid  ex¬ 
panse  of  efflorescent  salt.  The  plains  near  San  La- 
zaro  especially,  in  their  arid  whiteness,  seem  charac¬ 
teristic  of  the  unfortunate  victims  of  leprosy  enclosed 
in  the  walls  of  that  hospital. 

We  rode  out  the  other  day  by  the  barrio ,  or  ward 
of  Santiago,  which  occupies  part  of  the  ancient 
Tlatelolco,  which  once  constituted  a  separate  state 
had  kings  of  its  own,  and  was  conquered  by  a  Mexi¬ 
can  monarch,  who  made  a  communication  by  bridges 
between  it  and  Mexico.  The  great  market  men¬ 
tioned  by  Cortes  was  held  here,  and  its  boundaries 
are  still  pointed  out,  whilst  the  convent  chapel  stands 
on  the  height  where  Cortes  erected  a  battering  en¬ 
gine,  when  he  was  besieging  the  Indian  Venice. 


LETTER  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


Convent  of  San  Joaquin  —  Mexico  in  the  morning  —  Tacuba  — 
Carmelite  Prior  —  Convent  Garden — Hacienda  of  Los  Mo¬ 
rales  —  El  Olivar  —  A  Huacatnaya  —  Humming  Birds  —  Cor¬ 
respondence  —  Expected  Consecration  —  Visit  to  the  Mineria 
—  Botanic  Gardefi  —  Arbol  de  las  Manitas  —  The  Museum  — 
Equestrian  Statue  —  Academy  of  Painting  and  Sculpture  — 
Disappointment. 


Early  this  morning  we  rode  to  the  Convent  of  San 
Joaquin,  belonging  to  friars  of  the  Carmelite  order, 
passing  through  Tacuba,  the  ancient  Tlacopan,  once 
the  capital  of  a  small  kingdom,  and  whose  monarch, 
Tetlepanquetzaltzin,  (short  and  convenient  name) 
Cortes  caused  to  be  hanged  on  a  tree  for  a  supposed 
or  real  conspiracy.  The  number  of  carts,  the  innu¬ 
merable  Indians  loaded  like  beasts  of  burthen,  their 
women  with  baskets  of  vegetables  in  their  hands  and 
children  on  their  backs,  the  long  strings  of  arrieros 
with  their  loaded  mules,  the  droves  of  cattle,  the 
flocks  of  sheep,  the  herds  of  pigs,  render  it  a  work  of 
some  difficulty  to  make  one’s  way  on  horseback  out 
of  the  gates  of  Mexico  at  an  early  hour  of  the  morn¬ 
ing,  but  it  must  be  confessed,  that  the  whole  scene  is 
lively  and  cheerful  enough,  to  make  one  forget  that 
there  is  such  a  thing  as  care  in  the  world.  There  is 
an  indifferent,  placid  smile  on  every  face,  and  the 
bright  blue  sky  smiling  over  them  all ;  dogs  bark, 


188 


TACUBA. 


and  asses  bray,  and  the  Indian,  with  near  a  mule’s 
load  on  his  back,  drags  his  hat  oft'  to  salute  a  bevy  of 
his  bronze-colored  countrymen,  nearly  equally  laden 
with  himself,  and  they  all  show  their  teeth,  and  talk 
their  liquid  Indian,  and  pass  on. 

These  plains  of  Tacuba,  once  the  theatre  of  fierce 
and  bloody  conflicts,  and  where,  during  the  siege  of 
Mexico,  Alvarado  of  the  leap  fixed  his  camp,  now 
present  a  very  tranquil  scene.  Tacuba  itself  is  now 
a  small  village  of  mud  huts,  with  some  fine  old  trees, 
a  few  very  old  ruined  houses,  a  ruined  church,  and 

some  traces  of  a  building  which - assured  us  had 

been  the  palace  of  their  last  monarch  ;  whilst  others 
declare  it  to  have  been  the  site  of  the  Spanish  en¬ 
campment.  San  Joaquin,  also  a  poor  village,  contains 
the  fine  convent  and  immense  walled  garden  and  or¬ 
chard  belonging  to  the  rich  monks  of  the  Carmelite 

order.  As  C - n  knows  the  prior,  he  sent  in  our 

names,  and  I  was  admitted  as  far  as  the  sacristy  of 
the  convent  church.  The  prior  received  us  with  the 
utmost  kindness.  He  is  a  good-looking  man,  ex¬ 
tremely  amiable  and  well-informed,  and  still  young. 
The  gentlemen  were  admitted  into  the  interior  of 
the  convent,  which  they  describe  as  being  a  very 
large,  handsome  building,  clean  and  airy,  with  a  fine 
old  library,  chiefly  composed  of  theological  works  ; 
to  the  garden,  which  is  immensely  large,  and  though 
not  much  cultivated,  full  of  flowers ;  and  to  the  great 
orchard,  celebrated  for  the  profusion  and  excellence 
of  its  fruit.  There  is  a  mirador  in  the  garden  which 
can  be  seen  from  the  road,  and  from  which  there  is 
a  very  extensive  view.  I  was  very  anxious  for  ad- 


EL  OLIVAR. 


]89 


mittance  only  to  the  garden,  and  pleaded  the  manly 
appearance  of  my  riding  hat,  which  would  prevent 
all  scandal,  were  I  seen  from  a  distance,  but  the 
complaisance  of  the  good  prior  would  not  go  quite 
so  far  as  that,  so  I  sat  in  the  sacristy  and  conversed 
with  a  good-natured  old  monk  with  a  double  chin, 
whilst  the  others  wandered  through  the  grounds. 
They  afterwards  gave  us  a  very  nice  breakfast,  sim¬ 
ple,  but  good  ;  fish  from  the  lake,  different  prepara¬ 
tions  of  eggs,  riz-au-lait,  coffee  and  fruit.  The 
monks  did  not  sit  down  with  us,  nor  would  they  par¬ 
take  of  anything  themselves.  .  .  . 

We  went  in  the  evening  to  see  a  pretty  Hacienda 
called  Los  Morales,  (the  mulberry  trees)  belonging 
to  a  Spaniard,  which  has  a  nice  garden  with  a  bath 
in  it,  and  where  they  bestowed  a  quantity  of  beauti¬ 
ful  flowers  on  us. 

The  other  day  we  set  off  early,  together  with  the 
Belgian  and  French  Ministers  and  their  families,  in 
carriages,  to  visit  a  beautiful  deserted  Hacienda  call¬ 
ed  el  Olivar,  belonging  to  the  Marquis  of  Santiago. 
The  house  is  perfectly  bare,  with  nothing  but  the 
walls  ;  but  the  grounds  are  a  wilderness  of  tangled 
flowers  and  blossoming  trees  —  rose-bushes  —  sweet 
pease  and  all  manner  of  fragrant  flowers.  We  passed 
an  agreeable  day,  wandering  about,  breakfasting  on 
the  provisions  brought  with  us,  arranging  large  bou¬ 
quets  of  flowers,  and  firing  at  a  mark,  which  must 
have  startled  the  birds  in  this  solitary  and  unculti¬ 
vated  retreat.  We  had  a  pleasant  family  dinner  at 
the  E — — ’s,  and  passed  the  evening  at  the  Baron 
de  - ’s.  The  gentlemen  returned  late,  it  being 


190 


HUACAMAYA. 


the  day  of  a  diplomatic  dinner  at  the  English  Min¬ 
ister’s. 

The  Countess  del  V - e  has  just  sent  me  a 

beautiful  bird  with  the  most  gorgeous  plumage  of  the 
brightest  scarlet  and  blue.  It  is  called  a  huacamaya, 
and  is  of  the  parrot  species,  but  three  times  as  large, 
being  about  two  feet  from  the  beak  to  the  tip  of  the 
tail.  It  is  a  superb  creature,  but  very  wicked, 
gnawing  not  only  its  own  pole,  but  all  the  doors,  and 
committing  great  havoc  amongst  the  plants,  besides 
trying  to  bite  every  one  who  approaches  it.  It  pro¬ 
nounces  a  few  words  very  hoarsely  and  indistinctly, 
and  has  a  most  harsh,  disagreeable  cry.  In  fact  it 
presumes  upon  its  beauty  to  be  as  unamiable  as  pos¬ 
sible. 

I  prefer  some  beautiful  little  humming  birds,  (chu- 
pamirtos  as  they  are  called  here,)  which  have  been 
sent  me,  and  which  I  am  trying  to  preserve  alive, 
but  I  fear  the  cold  will  kill  them,  for  though  we  see 
them  occasionally  here,  hanging  by  their  beaks  upon 
the  branches  of  the  flowers,  like  large  butterflies,  and 
shaking  their  brilliant  little  wings  so  rapidly  that  they 
seem  to  emit  sparkles  of  colored  light,  still  this  is  not 
their  home,  properly  speaking  —  they  belong  to  the 
tierra  caliente.  These  little  birds  are  of  a  golden 
green  and  purple,  and  are  so  tame,  that  whilst  I  am 
writing,  I  have  two  on  my  shoulder,  and  one  perched 
on  the  edge  of  a  glass,  diving  out  its  long  tongue  for 
sugar  and  water.  Our  live  stock  is  considerable  ;  we 
have  Guinea  fowls,  who  always  remind  me  of  old 
maiden  ladies  in  half-mourning,  and  whose  scream¬ 
ing  notes  match  those  of  the  huacamaya,  various  lit- 


CORRESPONDENCE. 


191 


tie  green  parrots,  a  scarlet  cardenal,  one  hundred 
and  sixty  pigeons  in  the  pigeon-house,  and  three 
fierce  dogs  in  conspicuous  situations. 

I  received  a  very  polite  letter  to-day  from  the 
Senora  de  Santa  Anna,  and  as  it  was  enclosed  in  a 
few  lines  from  Santa  Anna  himself,  I  send  you  his 
autograph,  for  I  doubt  much  whether  we  have  seen 
the  last  of  that  illustrious  personage,  or  whether  his 
philosophic  retirement  will  endure  forever. 

I  have  been  endeavoring  lately  to  procure  permis¬ 
sion  from  Senor  Posada,  who  is  shortly  to  be  conse¬ 
crated  Archbishop,  to  visit  the  Convents  of  Nuns  in 
Mexico.  Senor  C - o,  secretary  of  state,  our  par¬ 

ticular  friend,  has  been  kind  enough  to  interest  him¬ 
self  in  the  matter,  though  with  indifferent  hopes  of 
success.  A  few  days  ago  he  sent  me  his  corres¬ 
pondence  with  Senor  Posada,  who  observes  that  the 
Vice-Queens  alone  had  the  privilege  of  the  entree,  and 
seems  to  hesitate  a  good  deal  as  to  the  advisableness 
of  granting  a  permission  which  might  be  considered 
a  precedent  for  others.  However  I  think  he  is  too 
amiable  to  resist  our  united  entreaties.  I  hold  out 

as  an  argument,  that  C - n,  being  the  Duplicado 

of  the  Queen  herself,  my  visit  is  equal  to  that  of  the 
Vice-Queen,  which  argument  has  at  least  amused 
him.  His  consecration  is  fixed  for  the  31st  of  May. 

Don  Pedro  Fonti,  the  last  Archbishop  named  in 
the  time  of  the  Spanish  dominion,  having  renounced 
the  mitre,  three  illustrious  churchmen  were  proposed 
to  fill  the  vacant  place  ;  this  Don  Manuel  Posada, 
Don  Antonio  Campos,  and  Dr.  Don  Jose  Maria  de 
Santiago.  The  first  was  chosen  by  the  Mexican 


192 


MINERIA,  ETC. 


government,  and  was  afterwards  proclaimed  in  the 
Roman  Consistory  last  December,  with  the  approba¬ 
tion  of  Gregory  the  sixteenth.  They  are  now  only 
waiting  for  the  pontifical  bulls,  which  are  daily  ex¬ 
pected  from  Rome ;  and  it  is  said  that  the  ceremony, 
which  will  take  place  in  the  Cathedral,  will  be  very 
magnificent. 

April  3d.  —  Accompanied  by  the - Minister, 

we  spent  yesterday  in  visiting  the  Mineria,  the  Bo¬ 
tanic  Garden,  the  Museum,  &c.,  all  which  leave  a 
certain  disagreeable  impression  on  the  mind,  since, 
without  having  the  dignity  of  ruins,  they  are  fine 
buildings  neglected.  The  Mineria,  or  School  of 
Mines,  the  work  of  the  famous  architect  and  sculptor 
Tolsa,  is  a  magnificent  building,  a  palace  whose  fine 
proportions  would  render  it  remarkable  amongst  the 
finest  edifices  of  any  European  country.  All  is  on  a 
great  scale,  its  noble  rows  of  pillars,  great  staircases, 
large  apartments  and  lofty  roofs,  but  it  reminds  one 
of  a  golden  aviary,  containing  a  few  common  spar¬ 
rows.  Several  rich  Spaniards  contributed  more  than 
six  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  its  construction. 
We  were  shown  through  the  whole  of  this  admirable 
building  by  the  director,  who  occupies  a  very  hand¬ 
some  house  attached  to  it.  But  however  learned 
the  professors  may  be,  and  amongst  them  is  the 
scientific  Sehor  del  Rio,  now  very  old,  but  a  man  of 
great  learning  and  research  ;  the  collections  of  min¬ 
erals,  the  instruments  and  models,  are  all  miserable 
and  ill  kept. 

The  Botanic  Garden,  within  the  Palace,  is  a  small 
ill-kept  enclosure,  where  there  still  remain  some  rare 


BOTANIC  GARDEN. 


193 


plants  of  the  immense  collection  made  in  the  time 
of  the  Spanish  government,  when  great  progress 
was  made  in  all  the  natural  sciences,  four  hundred 
thousand  dollars  having  been  expended  in  botan¬ 
ical  expeditions  alone.  Courses  of  botanical  lec¬ 
tures  were  then  given  annually  by  the  most  learned 
professors,  and  the  taste  for  natural  history  was  uni¬ 
versal. 

El  Arbol  de  las  Manitas,  (the  tree  of  the  small 
hands)  was  the  most  curious  which  we  saw  in  the 
garden.  The  flower  is  of  a  bright  scarlet,  in  the 
form  of  a  hand,  with  five  fingers  and  a  thumb ;  and 
it  is  said  that  there  are  only  three  of  these  trees  in 
the  Republic.  The  gardener  is  an  old  Italian,  who 
came  over  with  one  of  the  Viceroys,  and  though  now 
one  hundred  and  ten  years  old,  and  nearly  bent  dou¬ 
ble,  possesses  all  his  faculties.  The  garden  is  pretty 
from  the  age  of  the  trees,  and  luxuriance  of  the 
flowers,  but  melancholy  as  a  proof  of  the  decay  of 
science  in  Mexico.  The  Palace  itself,  now  occu¬ 
pied  by  the  President,  formerly  belonged  to  Cortes, 
and  was  ceded  by  his  descendants  to  the  government. 
In  exchange  they  received  the  ground  formerly  oc¬ 
cupied  by  the  palace  of  the  Aztec  kings,  and  built  on 
it  a  very  splendid  edifice,  where  the  state  archives 
are  kept,  and  where  the  Monte  Pio,  (the  office 
where  money  is  lent  on  plate,  jewels,  &c.)  now  is, 
the  director  of  which  is  Don  Francisco  Tagle,  whose 
apartments  within  the  building  are  very  elegant  and 
spacious. 

The  Museum,  within  the  University,  and  opposite 
the  Palace,  in  the  plaza  called  del  Volador,  contains 

17 


VOL.  I. 


194 


MUSEUM. 


many  rare  and  valuable  works,  many  curious  Indian 
antiquities,  but  they  are  ill  arranged.  On  the  walls 
are  the  portraits  of  the  vice-kings,  beginning  with 
Hernan  Cortes.  We  spent  a  long  while  here  ex¬ 
amining  these  antiquities  ;  but  we  have  seen  no¬ 
thing  in  Mexico  to  equal  the  beauty  of  the  colossal 
equestrian  statue  in  bronze  of  Charles  the  Fourth, 
placed  on  a  pedestal  of  Mexican  marble,  which 
stands  in  the  court  of  the  University,  but  formerly 
adorned  the  middle  of  the  square.  It  is  a  magni¬ 
ficent  piece  of  sculpture,  the  master-piece  of  Tolsa, 
remarkable  for  the  noble  simplicity  and  purity  of  its 
style,  and  was  made  at  the  expense  of  an  ex-Vice- 
roy,  the  Marquis  of  Branciforte.  We  also  saw  the 
Goddess  of  War  lying  in  a  corner  of  the  court,  be¬ 
side  the  Stone  of  sacrifices,-  which  we  had  already 
been  shown. 

To-day  we  have  been  visiting  the  Academy  of 
painting  and  sculpture,  called  the  Academy  of  Fine 
Arts,  of  which  I  unfortunately  recollected  having  read 
Humboldt’s  brilliant  account,  in  my  forcibly  prolonged 
studies  on  board  the  Jason,  and  that  he  mentions  its 
having  had  the  most  favorable  influence  in  forming 
the  national  taste.  He  tells  us,  that  every  night  in 
these  spacious  halls,  well  illuminated  by  Argand 
lamps,  hundreds  of  young  men  were  assembled,  some 
sketching  from  the  plaster-casts,  or  from  life,  and 
others  copying  designs  of  furniture,  candelabras  and 
other  bronze  ornaments  ;  and  that  here,  all  classes, 
colors  and  races  were  mingled  together  ;  the  Indian 
beside  the  white  boy,  and  the  son  of  the  poorest  me¬ 
chanic  beside  that  of  the  richest  lord.  Teaching  was 


ACADEMY. 


195 


gratis,  and  not  limited  to  landscapes  and  figures,  one 
of  the  principal  objects  being  to  propagate  amongst 
the  artists  a  general  taste  for  elegance  and  beauty  of 
form,  and  to  enliven  the  national  industry.  Plaster- 
casts,  to  the  amount  of  forty  thousand  dollars,  were 
sent  out  by  the  king  of  Spain,  and  as  they  possess  in 
the  Academy  various  colossal  statues  of  basalt  and 
porphyry,  covered  with  Aztec  hieroglyphics,  it  would 
have  been  curious,  as  the  same  learned  traveller  re¬ 
marks,  to  have  collected  these  monuments  in  the 
court-yard  of  the  Academy,  and  compared  the  re¬ 
mains  of  Mexican  sculpture,  monuments  of  a  semi- 
barbarous  people,  with  the  graceful  creations  of 
Greece  and  Rome. 

Let  no  one  visit  the  Academy  with  these  recollec¬ 
tions  or  anticipations  in  his  mind.  .  .  .  That  the 
simple  and  noble  taste  which  distinguishes  the  Mexi¬ 
can  buildings,  their  perfection  in  the  cutting  and  work¬ 
ing  of  their  stones,  the  chaste  ornaments  of  the  cap¬ 
itals  and  relievos,  are  owing  to  the  progress  they  made 
in  this  very  Academy,  is  no  doubt  the  case.  The  re¬ 
mains  of  these  beautiful  but  mutilated  plaster-casts, 
the  splendid  engravings  which  still  exist,  would  alone 
make  it  probable  ;  but  the  present  disorder,  the 
abandoned  state  of  the  building,  the  non-existence 
of  these  excellent  classes  of  sculpture  and  painting, 
and  above  all,  the  low  state  of  the  fine  arts  in  Mex¬ 
ico,  at  the  present  day,  are  amongst  the  sad  proofs, 
if  any  were  wanting,  of  the  melancholy  effects  pro¬ 
duced  by  years  of  civil  war  and  of  unsettled  govern¬ 
ment.  .  .  . 

The  Holy  Week  is  now  approaching,  and  already 


196 


APPROACH  OF  THE  HOLY  WEEK. 


the  Indians  are  to  be  seen  bringing  in  the  palm- 
branches  and  the  flowers  for  the  altars,  and  they  are 
beginning  to  erect  booths  and  temporary  shops,  and 
to  make  every  preparation  for  the  concourse  of  people 
who  will  arrive  next  Sunday  from  all  the  different 
villages  and  ranchos,  far  and  near. 


CHAPTER  THE  FOURTEENTH. 


Palm  Sunday — Holy  Thursday  —  Variety  of  costumes — San 
Francisco  —  Santo  Domingo  —  Santa  Teresa  —  Nuns  —  Stone 
bust  —  The  Academy  —  Religious  procession  —  Pilgrimage  to 
the  Churches  —  Santa  Clara  —  Nun’s  voice  —  Orange-trees  and 
rose-bushes  —  The  Cathedral  illuminated  —  Our  Saviour  in 
chains  —  Good  Friday  —  The  great  Square  towards  Evening  — 
Dresses  of  men,  women  and  children  —  Approach  of  the  Host 
—  Judas  —  Great  Procession  —  Miserere  —  The  square  by 
moonlight  —  A  lonely  walk  —  Sabado  de  gloria  —  Ball  in  con¬ 
templation  —  Weekly  Soirees  —  Embroidered  muslins  —  A 
Tertulia  at  home. 


21st  April, 

On  the  morning  of  Palm  Sunday,  I  went  to  the 

Cathedral,  accompanied  by  Mademoiselle  de  - - 

daughter  of  the  - - Minister.  We  found  it  no  easy 

matter  to  make  our  way  through  the  crowd,  but  at 
last,  by  dint  of  patience  and  perseverance,  and  chang¬ 
ing  our  place  very  often,  we  contrived  to  arrive  very 
near  the  great  altar ;  and  there  we  had  just  taken  up 
our  position,  when  a  disinterested  man  gave  us  a 
friendly  hint,  that  as  the  whole  procession,  with  their 
branches,  must  inevitably  squeeze  past  the  very  spot 
where  we  were,  we  should  probably  be  crushed  or 
suffocated  ;  consequently  we  followed  him  to  a  more 
convenient  station,  also  close  to  the  altar  and  defended 
by  the  railing,  where  we  found  ourselves  tolerably 
well  off.  Two  ladies,  to  whom  he  made  the  same 
17* 


198 


PALM  SUNDAY. 


proposition,  and  who  rejected  it,  we  afterwards 
observed  in  a  sad  condition,  their  mantillas  nearly 
torn  off  and  the  palm  branches  sweeping  across  their 
eyes. 

In  a  short  time,  the  whole  Cathedral  presented  the 
appearance  of  a  forest  of  palm  trees,  (a  la  Birnam 
wood)  moved  by  a  gentle  wind  ;  and  under  each  tree 
a  half-naked  Indian,  his  rags  clinging  together  with 
wonderful  pertinacity ;  long,  matted,  dirty  black  hair 
both  in  men  and  women,  bronze  faces  and  mild  un¬ 
speaking  eyes,  or  all  with  one  expression  of  eagerness 
to  see  the  approach  of  the  priests.  Many  of  them 
had  probably  travelled  a  long  way,  and  the  palms 
were  from  tierra  caliente,  dried  and  plaited  into  all 
manner  of  ingenious  ways.  Each  palm  was  about 
seven  feet  high,  so  as  far  to  overshadow  the  head  of 
the  Indian  who  carried  it  ;  and  whenever  they  are 
blessed,  they  are  carried  home  to  adorn  the  walls  of 
their  huts.  The  priests  arrived,  at  length,  in  great 
pomp,  and  also  carrying  palm  branches.  For  four 
mortal  hours,  we  remained  kneeling  or  sitting  on  the 
floor,  and  thankful  we  were  when  it  was  all  over,  and 
we  could  make  our  way  once  more  into  the  fresh  air. 

From  this  day  during  the  whole  week,  all  business 
is  suspended,  and  but  one  train  of  thought  occupies 
all  classes,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest.  The 
peasants  flock  from  every  quarter,  shops  are  shut, 
churches  are  opened  ;  and  the  Divine  Tragedy  enact¬ 
ed  in  Syria  eighteen  hundred  years  ago,  is  now 
celebrated  in  land  then  undiscovered,  and  by  the 
descendants  of  nations  sunk  in  Paganism  for  centu¬ 
ries  after  that  period. 


THE  VIRGIN. 


199 


But  amongst  the  lower  classes,  the  worship  is  em¬ 
phatically  the  worship  of  Her  who  Herself  predicted, 
“From  henceforth  all  nations  shall  call  me  blessed.” 
Before  her  shrines  and  at  all  hours,  thousands  are 
kneeling.  With  faces  expressive  of  the  most  intense 
love  and  devotion,  and  with  words  of  the  most  pas¬ 
sionate  adoration,  they  address  the  mild  image  of  the 
Mother  of  God.  To  the  Son  their  feelings  seem 
composed  of  respectful  pity,  of  humble  but  more  dis¬ 
tant  adoration  ;  while  to  the  Virgin  they  appear  to 
give  all  their  confidence,  and  to  look  up  to  her  as  to 
a  kind  and  bountiful  Queen,  who,  dressed  in  her 
magnificent  robes  and  jewelled  diadem,  yet  mourning 
in  all  the  agony  of  her  divine  sorrows,  has  conde¬ 
scended  to  admit  the  poorest  beggar  to  participate 
in  her  woe,  whilst  in  her  turn  she  shares  in  the  afflic¬ 
tions  of  the  lowly,  feels  for  their  privations,  and 
grants  them  her  all-powerful  intercession. 

On  Holy  Thursday  nothing  can  be  more  pictur¬ 
esque  than  the  whole  appearance  of  Mexico.  No 
carriages  are  permitted,  and  the  ladies  being  on  foot, 
take  the  opportunity  of  displaying  all  the  riches  of 
their  toilette.  On  this  day  velvets  and  satins  are 
your  only  wear.  Diamonds  and  pearls  walk  the 
streets.  The  mantillas  are  white  or  black  blonde ; 
the  shoes  white  or  colored  satin.  The  petticoats  are 
still  rather  short,  but  it  would  be  hard  to  hide  such 
small  feet,  and  such  still  smaller  shoes.  “  II  faut 
souffrir  pour  etre  belle,”  but  a  quoi  bon  etre  belle  ? 
if  no  one  sees  it.  As  for  me,  I  ventured  upon  a  lilac 
silk  of  Palmyre’s,  and  a  black  mantilla. 

The  whole  city  was  filled  with  picturesque  figures. 


200 


COSTUMES. 


After  the  higher  Senoras,  were  to  be  remarked  the 
common  women,  chiefly  in  clear  white,  very  stiffly 
starched  muslins,  some  very  richly  embroidered,  and 
the  petticoat  trimmed  with  lace,  white  satin  shoes, 
and  the  dresses  extremely  short,  which  in  them  looks 
very  well.  A  reboso  is  thrown  over  all.  Amongst 
these  were  many  handsome  faces,  but  in  a  still  lower 
and  more  Indian  class,  with  their  gay  colored  petti¬ 
coats,  the  faces  were  sometimes  beautiful,  and  the 
figures  more  upright  and  graceful  ;  also  they  invaria¬ 
bly  walk  well,  whilst  many  of  the  higher  classes,  from 
tight  shoes  and  want  of  custom,  seem  to  feel  pain 
in  putting  their  feet  to  the  ground. 

But  none  could  vie  with  the  handsome  Poblana 
peasants  in  their  holiday  dresses,  some  so  rich  and 
magnificent,  that,  remembering  the  warning  of  our 
ministerial  friends,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  them 
more  showy  than  respectable.  The  pure  Indians, 
with  whom  the  churches  and  the  whole  city  is 
crowded,  are  as  ugly  as  can  be  imagined ;  a  gentle, 
dirty  and  much-enduring  race.  Still  with  their  babies 
at  their  backs,  going  along  at  their  usual  gentle  trot, 
they  add  much  to  the  general  effect  of  the  coup  d'ceil. 

We  walked  to  San  Francisco  about  ten  o’clock, 
and  the  body  of  the  church  being  crowded,  went  up 
stairs  to  a  private  gallery  with  a  gilded  grating,  be¬ 
longing  to  the  Countess  de  Santiago,  and  here  we 
had  the  advantage  of  seats,  besides  a  fine  view  of 
the  whole.  This  church  is  very  splendid,  and  the 
walls  were  hung  with  canvass  paintings  representing 
different  passages  of  our  Saviour’s  life  ;  his  entry  in¬ 
to  Jerusalem,  the  woman  of  Samaria  at  the  well,  &c., 


SANTO  DOMINGO. 


201 


which,  with  the  palm  trees,  had  a  cool  and  oriental 
effect. 

Before  the  altar,  which  was  dazzling  with  jewels, 
was  a  representation  of  the  Lord’s  Supper,  not  in 
painting,  but  in  sculptured  figures  as  large  as  life, 
habited  in  the  Jewish  dresses.  The  bishops  and 
priests  were  in  a  blaze  of  gold  and  jewels.  They 
were  assisted  during  the  ceremony  by  the  young 
Count  of  Santiago.  The  music  was  extremely  good, 
and  the  whole  effect  impressive.  We  visited  several 
churches  in  the  course  of  the  day,  and  continued 
walking  until  four  o’clock,  when  we  went  to  dine 

with  our  friends  the  A - ’s.  After  dinner,  one  of 

their  coachmen,  a  handsome  Mexican,  in  a  superb 
di  ■ess,  all  embroidered  in  gold,  was  called  up  stairs  to 
dance  the  Jarabe  to  us  with  a  country  girl.  The 
dance  is  monotonous,  but  they  acquitted  themselves 
to  perfection. 

We  then  continued  our  pilgrimage  through  the 
city,  though,  as  the  sun  had  not  yet  set,  we  reserved 
our  chief  admiration  until  the  churches  should  be 
illuminated.  One,  however,  we  entered  at  sun-set, 
which  was  worthy  of  remark  —  Santo  Domingo.  It 
looked  like  a  little  Paradise,  or  a  story  in  the  Arabian 
Nights.  All  the  steps  up  to  the  altar  were  covered 
with  pots  of  beautiful  flowers  ;  orange-trees,  loaded 
with  fruit  and  blossom,  and  rose-bushes  in  full  bloom, 
glasses  of  colored  water,  and  all  kinds  of  fruit.  Cages 
full  of  birds,  singing  delightfully,  hung  from  the  wall, 
and  really  fine  paintings  filled  up  the  intervals.  A 
gay  carpet  covered  the  floor,  and  in  front  of  the  altar, 
instead  of  the  usual  representation  of  the  Saviour 


202 


SANTA  TERESA. 


crucified,  a  little  Infant  Jesus,  beautifully  done  in  wax, 
was  lying  amidst  flowers,  with  little  angels  surround¬ 
ing  him.  Add  to  this,  the  music  of  Romeo  and  Juliet, 
and  you  may  imagine  that  it  was  more  like  a  scene  in 
an  opera,  than  anything  in  a  church.  But  certainly,  as 
the  rays  of  the  setting  sun  streamed  with  a  rosy  light 
through  the  stained  windows,  throwing  a  glow  over 
the  whole  ;  birds,  and  flowers,  and  fruit,  paintings 
and  angels,  it  Avas  the  prettiest  and  most  fantastic 
scene  I  ever  beheld,  like  something  expressly  got  up 
for  the  benefit  of  children. 

We  did  not  kneel  before  each  altar  for  more  than 
three  minutes,  otherwise  we  should  never  have  had 
time  even  to  enter  the  innumerable  churches  which 
we  visited  in  the  course  of  the  night.  We  next  went 
to  Santa  Teresa  la  Nueva,  a  handsome  church,  be¬ 
longing  to  a  convent  of  strict  nuns,  which  was  now 
brilliantly  illuminated  ;  and  here,  as  in  all  the  churches, 
we  made  our  way  through  the  crowd  with  extreme  diffi¬ 
culty.  The  number  of  leperos  was  astonishing,  greatly 
exceeding  that  of  well-dressed  people.  Before  each 
altar  was  a  figure,  dreadful  in  the  extreme,  of  the 
Saviour,  as  large  as  life,  dressed  in  purple  robe  and 
crown  of  thorns,  seated  on  the  steps  of  the  altar,  the 
blood  trickling  from  his  wounds ;  each  person,  before 
leaving  the  church,  devoutly  kneeling  to  kiss  his  hands 
and  feet.  The  nuns,  amongst  whom  is  a  sister  of 

Senor  A - s,  sung  behind  the  grating  in  the  gallery 

above,  but  were  not  visible. 

One  of  the  churches  we  visited,  that  of  Santa 
Teresa,  called  the  Antigua,  stands  upon  the  site 
formerly  occupied  by  the  palace  of  the  father  of  the 


STONE  BUST. 


203 


unfortunate  Montezuma.  It  was  here  that  the  Span¬ 
iards  were  quartered  when  they  took  Montezuma 
prisoner,  and  here  Cortes  found  and  appropriated  the 
treasures  of  that  family.  In  1830,  a  bust  of  stone 
was  found  in  the  yard  of  the  convent,  which  the 
workmen  were  digging  up.  Don  Lucas  Alaman,  then 
Minister  of  Exterior  Relations,  offered  a  compensation 
to  the  nuns  for  the  curious  piece  of  antiquity,  which 
they  gladly  gave  up  to  the  government,  on  whose  ac¬ 
count  he  acted.  It  is  said  to  be  the  idol  goddess  of 
the  Indians  Centeotl,  the  goddess  of  medicine  and 
medicinal  herbs,  also  known  by  the  name  of  Temaz 
calteci,  or  the  “  Grandmother  of  the  Baths.”  A  full 
account  is  given  of  her  in  one  of  the  numbers  of  the 
“  Mosaico  Mejicano,”  as  also  of  a  square  stone  found 
in  the  same  place,  beautifully  carved,  and  covered 
with  hieroglyphical  characters. 

In  the  evening,  towards  the  hour  when  the  great 
procession  was  expected,  we  went  to  the  balconies  of 
the  Academia,  which  command  a  fine  view  of  the 
streets  by  which  it  was  to  pass.  Till  it  arrived,  we 
amused  ourselves  by  looking  over  the  beaux  restes  of 
former  days,  the  collections  of  painting  and  sculpture, 
the  fine  plaster-casts  that  still  remain,  and  the  great 
volumes  of  fine  engravings.  It  was  dark  when  the 
procession  made  its  appearance,  which  rendered  the 
effect  less  gaudy  and  more  striking.  The  Virgin,  the 
Saints,  the  Holy  Trinity,  the  Saviour  in  different  pas¬ 
sages  of  his  life,  imprisonment  and  crucifixion,  were 
carried  past  in  succession,  represented  by  figures, 
magnificently  dressed,  placed  on  lofty  scaffoldings  of 
immense  weight,  supported  by  different  bodies  of 


204 


PROCESSION. 


men.  One  is  carried  by  the  coachmen,  another  by 
the  aguadores  (water-carriers,)  a  third  by  the  carga- 
dores  (porters,)  a  Herculean  race. 

First  arrived  the  favorite  protectress  of  all  classes, 
the  Virgin  of  Dolores,  surmounted  by  a  velvet  cano¬ 
py,  seated  on  a  glittering  throne,  attired  in  her  sable 
robes,  her  brow  surmounted  by  glittering  rays,  and 
contracted  with  an  expression  of  agony  ;  of  all  repre¬ 
sentations  of  the  Virgin,  the  only  one  which  is  always 
lovely,  however  rudely  carved  ;  with  that  invariably 
beautiful  face  of  terrible  anguish.  Then  followed  the 
Saviour,  bearing  the  cross ;  the  Saviour  crucified,  the 
Virgin  supporting  the  head  of  her  dying  son  ;  the 
Trinity,  (the  Holy  Spirit  represented  by  a  dove)  ;  all 
the  apostles,  from  St.  Peter  with  the  keys  to  Ju¬ 
das  with  the  money-bag  ;  and  a  long  train  of  saints, 
all  brilliantly  illuminated  and  attended  by  an  amazing 
crowd  of  priests,  monks  and  laymen.  However 
childish  and  superstitious  all  this  may  seem,  I  doubt 
whether  it  be  not  as  well  thus  to  impress  certain  re¬ 
ligious  truths  on  the  minds  of  a  people  too  ignorant 
to  understand  them  by  any  other  process.  By  the 
time  the  last  saint  and  angel  had  vanished,  the  hour 
was  advanced,  and  we  had  still  to  visit  the  illumina¬ 
ted  churches.  Being  recommended  to  divest  our¬ 
selves  of  our  ornaments  before  wandering  forth 
amongst  the  crowd,  a  matter  of  some  moment  to  the 

Senora  A - ,  who  wore  all  her  diamonds,  we  left 

our  ear-rings,  brooches,  &c.,  in  charge  of  the  person 
who  keeps  the  Academia,  and  recommenced  our  pil¬ 
grimage. 

Innumerable  were  the  churches  we  visited  that 


SANTA  CLARA. 


205 


evening  ;  the  Cathedral,  La  Ensehanza,  Jesus  Maria, 
Santa  Clara,  Santa  Brigida,  San  Hipolito,  La  Encar- 
nacion,  the  five  churches  of  San  Francisco,  &c.  &c., 
a  list  without  an  end,  kneeling  for  a  short  space  of 
time  before  each  blazing  altar,  for  the  more  churches 
one  visits,  the  more  meritorious  is  the  devotion. 
The  cathedral  was  the  first  we  entered,  and  its  mag¬ 
nificence  struck  us  with  amazement.  Its  gold  and 
silver  and  jewels,  its  innumerable  ornaments  and  holy 
vessels,  the  rich  dresses  of  the  priests,  all  seemed 
burning  in  almost  intolerable  brightness.  The  high 
altar  was  the  most  magnificent ;  the  second,  with  its 
pure  white  marble  pillars,  the  most  imposing. 

The  crowd  was  immense,  but  we  made  our  way 
slowly  through  it  to  the  foot  of  each  altar,  where  the 
people  were  devoutly  kissing  the  Saviour’s  hand  or 
the  hem  of  his  garment ;  or  beating  their  breasts  be¬ 
fore  the  mild  image  of  Our  Lady  of  Grief.  Each 
church  had  vied  with  the  other  in  putting  forth  all 
its  splendor  of  jewelry,  of  lights,  of  dresses,  and  of 
music. 

In  the  church  of  Santa  Clara,  attached  to  the  con¬ 
vent  of  the  same  name,  small  but  elegant,  with  its 
pillars  of  white  marble  and  gold,  one  voice  of  angelic 
sweetness  was  singing  behind  the  grating,  alone,  and 
in  the  midst  of  a  most  deathlike  stillness.  It  sound¬ 
ed  like  the  notes  of  a  nightingale,  in  a  cage.  I 
could  have  listened  for  hours,  but  our  time  was  lim¬ 
ited,  and  we  set  off  anew.  Fortunately  the  evening 
was  delightful,  and  the  moon  shining  brightly.  We 
visited  about  twenty  churches  in  succession.  In  all, 
the  organ  was  pealing,  the  blaze  of  light  overpower- 
18 


VOL.  I. 


206 


SAN  FRANCISCO. 


ing,  the  magnificence  of  jewels  and  crimson  velvet 
and  silver  and  gold  dazzling,  the  crowd  suffocating, 
the  incense  blinding. 

The  prettiest  effect  in  every  church  was  caused  by 
the  orange-trees  and  rose-bushes,  which  covered  the 
steps  of  the  altars,  up  to  where  the  magnificence  of 
the  altar  itself  blazed  out ;  and  the  most  picturesque 
effect  was  produced  by  the  different  orders  of  monks 
in  their  gowns  and  hoods,  either  lying  on  their  faces 
or  standing  ranged  with  torches,  like  figures  carved 
in  stone. 

In  the  passage  leading  to  most  of  the  churches 
was  a  table,  at  which  several  ladies  of  the  highest 
rank  sat  collecting  alms  for  the  poor.  The  fair  que- 
tenses  had  not  been  very  successful,  and  that  chiefly 
amongst  the  lower  classes.  The  fatigue  was  terrible, 
walking  for  so  many  hours  on  that  bad  pavement 
with  thin  satin  shoes ;  so  that  at  length  our  feet 
seemed  to  move  mechanically,  and  we  dropped  on 
our  knees  before  each  altar,  like  machines  touched 
by  a  spring,  and  rose  again  with  no  small  effort.  Of 
all  the  churches  we  entered  that  night,  the  cathedral 
was  the  most  magnificent,  but  the  most  beautiful  and 
tasteful  was  San  Francisco.  The  crowd  there  was 
so  dense,  that  we  were  almost  carried  off  our  feet, 
and  were  obliged,  in  defiance  of  all  rule,  to  take  the 
arms  of  our  Caballeros.  Still  it  was  worth  the  trouble 
of  making  our  way  through  it,  to  see  such  a  su¬ 
perbly  illuminated  altar.  It  wras  now  eleven  o’clock, 
and  the  crowd  were  breaking  up,  as  the  churches 
are  shut  before  midnight.  In  one  corner  of  the  mid¬ 
dle  aisle,  near  the  door,  was  the  representation  of  a 


GOOD  FRIDAY. 


207 


prison,  from  which  issued  a  stream  of  soft  music,  and 
at  the  window  was  a  figure  of  Christ  in  chains,  his 
eyes  bandaged,  and  a  Jew  on  each  side  ;  the  chains 
hanging  from  his  hands,  and  clanking  as  if  with  the 
motion  of  his  arms.  The  rush  here  was  immense. 
Numbers  of  people  were  kneeling  before  the  window 
of  the  prison,  and  kissing  the  chains  and  beating  their 
breasts  with  every  appearance  of  contrition  and  de¬ 
votion.  This  was  the  night  before  the  Crucifixion, 
and  the  last  scene  of  the  Holy  Thursday. 

We  reached  home  hardly  able  to  stand.  I  never 
felt  more  dazzled,  bewildered  and  sleepy,  but  I  was 
wakened  by  finding  a  packet  of  letters  from  home, 
which  brought  back  my  thoughts,  or  rather  carried 
them  away  to  very  different  lands. 

On  Good  Friday,  a  day  of  sorrow  and  humiliation, 
the  scene  in  the  morning  is  very  different.  The 
great  sacrifice  is  complete  —  the  Immortal  has  died  a 
mortal  death.  The  ladies  all  issue  forth  in  mourning, 
and  the  churches  look  sad  and  wan  after  their  last 
night’s  brilliancy.  The  heat  was  intense.  We  went 
to  San  Francisco,  again  to  the  Tribuna  of  the  Count¬ 
ess  de  Santiago,  to  see  the  Adoration  and  Procession 
of  the  Cross,  which  was  very  fine. 

But  the  most  beautiful  and  original  scene  was  pre¬ 
sented  towards  sunset  in  the  great  square,  and  it  is 
doubtful  whether  any  other  city  in  the  world  could 
present  a  coup  d’oeil  of  equal  brilliancy.  Having 
been  offered  the  entree  to  some  apartments  in  the 
palace,  we  took  our  seats  on  the  balconies,  which 
commanded  a  view  of  the  whole.  The  Plaza  itself, 
even  on  ordinary  days,  is  a  noble  square,  and  but  for 
its  one  fault,  a  row  of  shops  called  the  Parian,  which 


208 


THE  SQUARE. 


breaks  its  uniformity,  would  be  nearly  unrivalled. 
Every  object  is  interesting.  The  eye  wanders  from 
the  Cathedral  to  the  house  of  Cortes  (the  Monte 
Pio,)  and  from  thence  to  a  range  of  fine  buildings 
with  lofty  arcades,  to  the  west.  From  our  elevated 
situation,  we  could  see  all  the  different  streets  that 
branch  out  from  the  square,  covered  with  gay  crowds 
pouring  in  that  direction  to  see  another  great  proces¬ 
sion,  which  was  expected  to  pass  in  front  of  the 
palace.  Booths  filled  with  refreshments,  and  covered 
with  green  branches  and  garlands  of  flowers,  were  to 
be  seen  in  all  directions,  surrounded  by  a  crowd 
who  were  quenching  their  thirst  with  orgeat,  chia,' 
lemonade,  or  pulque.  The  whole  square,  from  the 
Cathedral  to  the  Portales,  and  from  the  Monte  Pio 
to  the  Palace,  was  covered  with  thousands  and  tens 
of  thousands  of  figures,  all  in  their  gayest  dresses, 
and  as  the  sun  poured  his  rays  down  upon  their 
gaudy  colors,  they  looked  like  armies  of  living  tulips. 
Here  was  to  be  seen  a  group  of  ladies,  some  with 
black  gowns  and  mantillas ;  others,  now  that  their 
church-going  duty  was  over,  equipped  in  velvet  or 
satin,  with  their  hair  dressed ;  and  beautiful  hair 
they  have  ;  some  leading  their  children  by  the  hand, 
dressed  ....  alas  !  how  they  were  dressed  !  Long 
velvet  gowns  trimmed  with  blonde ;  diamond  ear¬ 
rings,  high  French  caps  befurbelowed  with  lace  and 
flowers,  or  turbans  with  plumes  of  feathers.  Now 
and  then  the  head  of  a  little  thing  that  could  hardly 
waddle  alone,  might  have  belonged  to  an  English 
dowager  duchess  in  her  opera  box.  Some  had  ex- 


1  A  drink  made  of  the  seed  of  the  plant  of  that  name. 


INDIAN  BABIES. 


209 


traordinary  bonnets,  also  with  flowers  and  feathers, 
and  as  they  toddled  along,  top  heavy,  one  would 
have  thought  they  were  little  old  women,  till  a 
glimpse  was  caught  of  their  lovely  little  brown  faces 
and  black  eyes.  Now  and  then,  a  little  girl,  sim¬ 
ply  dressed  with  a  short  frock,  and  long  black  hair 
plaited  down  and  uncovered,  would  trip  along,  a  very 
model  of  grace  amongst  the  small  caricatures.  The 
children  here  are  generally  beautiful,  their  features 
only  too  perfect  and  regular  for  the  face  “  to  fulfil 
the  promise  of  its  spring.”  They  have  little  color, 
with  swimming  black  or  hazel  eyes,  and  long  lashes 
resting  on  the  clear  pale  cheek,  and  a  perfect  mass 
of  fine  dark  hair  of  the  straight  Spanish  or  Indian 
kind  plaited  down  behind. 

As  a  contrast  to  the  Sehoras,  with  their  over¬ 
dressed  beauties,  were  the  poor  Indian  women,  trot¬ 
ting  across  the  square,  their  black  hair  plaited  with 
dirty  red  ribbon,  a  piece  of  woollen  cloth  wrapped 
round  them,  and  a  little  mahogany  baby  hanging 
behind,  its  face  upturned  to  the  sky,  and  its  head 
going  jerking  along,  somehow  without  its  neck  being 
dislocated.  The  most  resigned  expression  on  earth 
is  that  of  an  Indian  baby.  All  the  groups  we  had 
seen  promenading  the  streets  the  day  before,  were 
here  collected  by  hundreds  ;  the  women  of  the  shop¬ 
keeper  class,  or  it  may  be  lower,  in  their  smart 
white  embroidered  gowns,  with  their  white  satin 
shoes,  and  neat  feet  and  ankles,  and  rebosos  or 
bright  shawls  thrown  over  their  heads  ;  the  peasants 
and  countrywomen,  with  their  short  petticoats  of  two 
colors,  generally  scarlet  and  yellow ;  (for  they  are 
18* 


210 


DRESSES. 


most  anti-quakerish  in  their  attire.)  thin  satin  shoes 
and  lace-trimmed  chemises,  or  bronze-colored  dam¬ 
sels,  all  crowned  with  flowers,  strolling  along  with 
their  admirers,  and  tingling  their  light  guitars.  And 
above  all,  here  and  there  a  flashing  Poblana,  with  a 
dress  of  real  value  and  much  taste,  and  often  with  a 
face  and  figure  of  extraordinary  beauty  ;  especially 
the  figure ;  large  and  yet  elancee,  with  a  bold  co¬ 
quettish  eye,  and  a  beautiful  little  brown  foot,  shewn 
off  by  the  white  satin  shoe  ;  the  petticoat  of  her 
dress  frequently  fringed  and  embroidered  in  real 
massive  gold,  and  a  reboso  either  shot  with  gold, 
or  a  bright  colored  China  crape  shawl,  coquettishly 
thrown  over  her  head.  We  saw  several  whose 
dresses  could  not  have  cost  less  than  five  hundred 
dollars. 

Add  to  this  motley  crowd,  men  dressed  a  la  Mex- 
icaine,  with  their  large  ornamented  hats  and  serapes, 
or  embroidered  jackets,  sauntering  along,  smoking 
their  cigars,  leperos  in  rags,  Indians  in  blankets, 
officers  in  uniform,  priests  in  their  shovel  hats,  monks 
of  every  order;  Frenchmen  exercising  their  wit 
upon  the  passers-by,  Englishmen  looking  cold  and 
philosophical,  Germans  gazing  through  their  specta¬ 
cles,  mild  and  mystical,  Spaniards  seeming  pretty 
much  at  home,  and  abstaining  from  remarks  ;  and  it 
may  be  conceived  that  the  scene  at  least  presented 
variety.  Sometimes  the  tinkling  of  the  bell  an¬ 
nounced  the  approach  of  JS'uestro  Amo.  Instantly 
the  whole  crowd  are  on  their  knees,  crossing  them¬ 
selves  devoutly.  Two  men  who  were  fighting  below 
the  window,  suddenly  dropt  down  side  by  side.  Dis- 


FIGURES  OF  JUDAS. 


211 


putes  were  hashed,  flirtations  arrested,  and  to  the  busy 
hum  of  voices  succeeded  a  profound  silence.  Only 
the  rolling  of  the  coach-wheels  and  the  sound  of  the 
little  bell  were  heard. 

No  sooner  had  it  passed,  than  the  talkers  and  the 
criers  recommenced  with  fresh  vigor.  The  venders 
of  hot  chestnuts  and  cooling  beverages  plied  their 
trade  more  briskly  than  ever.  A  military  band  struck 
up  an  air  from  Semiramus ;  and  the  noise  of  the 
innumerable  matracos  (rattles)  some  of  wood  and 
some  of  silver,  with  which  every  one  is  armed  during 
the  last  days  of  the  holy  week,  broke  forth  again  as 
if  by  magic,  while  again  commenced  the  sale  of  the 
Judases,  fireworks  in  the  form  of  that  arch-traitor, 
which  are  sold  on  the  evening  of  Good  Friday,  and 
let  off  on  Saturday  morning.  Hundreds  of  these 
hideous  figures  were  held  above  the  crowd,  by  men 
who  carried  them  tied  together  on  long  poles.  An 
ugly,  misshapen  monster  they  represent  the  betrayer 
to  have  been.  When  he  sold  his  Master  for  thirty 
pieces  of  silver,  did  he  dream  that  in  the  lapse  of 
ages,  his  effigies  should  be  held  up  to  the  execration 
of  a  Mexican  mob,  of  an  unknown  people  in  undis¬ 
covered  countries  beyond  the  seas?  —  A  secret  bar¬ 
gain,  perhaps  made  whisperingly  in  a  darkened  cham¬ 
ber  with  the  fierce  Jewish  rulers  ;  but  now  shouted 
forth  in  the  ears  of  the  descendants  of  Montezuma 
and  Cortes  ! 

But  the  sound  of  a  distant  hymn  rose  on  the  air, 
and  shortly  after  there  appeared,  advancing  towards 
the  square,  a  long  and  pompous  retinue  of  mitred 
priests,  with  banners  and  crucifixes  and  gorgeous 


212 


CATHEDRAL. 


imagery,  conducting  a  procession  in  which  figures 
representing  scenes  concerning  the  death  of  our  Sa¬ 
viour,  were  carried  by  on  platforms,  as  they  were 
the  preceding  evening.  There  was  the  Virgin  in 
mourning  at  the  foot  of  the  cross  —  the  Virgin  in 
glory,  —  and  more  saints,  and  more  angels  —  St. 
Michael  and  the  Dragon,  &c.  &c.,  a  glittering  and 
innumerable  train.  Not  a  sound  was  heard  as  the 
figures  were  carried  slowly  onwards  in  their  splendid 
robes,  lighted  by  thousands  of  tapers,  which  mingled 
their  unnatural  glare  with  the  fading  light  of  day. 

As  the  miserere  was  to  be  performed  in  the  cathe¬ 
dral  late  in  the  evening,  we  went  there,  though  with 
small  hopes  of  making  our  way  through  the  tremen¬ 
dous  crowd.  Having  at  length  been  admitted  through 
a  private  entrance  per  favor,  we  made  our  way  into 
the  body  of  the  church  ;  but  the  crowd  was  so  intol¬ 
erable,  that  we  thought  of  abandoning  our  position, 
when  we  were  seen  and  recognised  by  some  of 
the  priests,  and  conducted  to  a  railed-off  enclosure 
near  the  shrine  of  the  Virgin,  with  the  luxury  of  a 
Turkey  carpet.  Here,  separated  from  the  crowd, 
we  sat  down  in  peace,  on  the  ground.  The  gentle¬ 
men  were  accommodated  with  high-backed  chairs 
beside  some  ecclesiastics ;  for  men  may  sit  on  chairs 
or  benches  in  church,  but  women  must  kneel  or 
sit  on  the  ground.  Why  ?  “  Quien  snbe  ?  ”  “  Who 
knows?”  is  all  the  satisfaction  I  have  ever  obtained 
on  that  point. 

The  music  began  with  a  crash  that  wakened  me 
out  of  an  agreeable  slumber  into  which  I  had  grad¬ 
ually  fallen  ;  and  such  discordance  of  instruments 


MISERERE. 


213 


and  voices,  such  confusion  worse  confounded,  such 
inharmonious  harmony,  never  before  deafened  mor¬ 
tal  ears.  The  very  spheres  seemed  out  of  tune,  and 
rolling  and  crashing  over  each  other.  I  could  have 
cried  Miserere !  with  the  loudest ;  and  in  the  midst 
of  all  the  undrilled  band,  was  a  music-master,  with 
violin-stick  uplifted,  rushing  desperately  from  one  to 
the  other,  in  vain  endeavoring  to  keep  time,  and  fright¬ 
ened  at  the  clamor  he  himself  had  been  instrumental 
in  raising  ;  like  Phaeton  entrusted  with  his  unmanagea¬ 
ble  coursers.  The  noise  was  so  great  as  to  be  really 
alarming ;  and  the  heat  was  severe  in  proportion. 
The  calm  face  of  the  Virgin  seemed  to  look  re¬ 
proachfully  down.  We  were  thankful  when  at  the 
conclusion  of  this  stormy  appeal  for  mercy,  we  were 
able  to  make  our  way  into  the  fresh  air  and  soft 
moonlight,  through  the  confusion  and  squeezing  at 
the  doors,  where  it  was  rumored  that  a  soldier  had 
killed  a  baby  with  his  bayonet.  A  bad  place  for  poor 
little  babies  —  decidedly. 

Outside,  in  the  square,  it  was  cool  and  agreeable. 
A  military  band  was  playing  airs  from  the  Norma, 
and  the  womankind  were  sitting  on  the  stones  of  the 
railing,  or  wandering  about  and  finishing  their  day’s 
work  by  a  quiet  flirtation  au  clair  de  la  lune. 

It  was  now  eleven  o’clock,  and  the  pulquerias  were 
thrown  open  for  the  refreshment  of  the  faithful,  and 
though  hitherto  much  order  had  prevailed,  it  was  not 
likely  to  endure  much  longer ;  notwithstanding  which, 
we  had  the  imprudence  to  walk  unattended  to  our 
own  house  at  San  Fernando.  In  the  centre  of  the 
city  there  seemed  no  danger.  People  were  still  walk- 


214 


A  LATE  WALK. 


ing,  and  a  few  still  drinking  at  the  lighted  booths  ; 
but  when  we  arrived  at  the  lower  part  of  the  Ala¬ 
meda,  all  was  still,  and  as  we  walked  outside  under 
the  long  shadows  of  the  trees,  I  expected  every  mo¬ 
ment  to  be  attacked,  and  wished  we  were  anywhere, 
even  on  the  silvery  top  of  Popocatepetl !  We  passed 
several  crowded  pulquerias,  where  some  were  drink¬ 
ing  and  others  drunk.  Arrived  at  the  arches,  we  saw 
from  time  to  time  a  suspicious  blanketed  figure  half 
hid  by  the  shadow  of  the  wall.  A  few  doors  from  our 
own  domicile,  was  a  pulque  shop  filled  with  leperos, 
of  whom  some  were  standing  at  the  door,  shrouded 
in  their  blankets.  It  seemed  to  me  we  should  never 
pass  them,  but  we  walked  fast,  and  reached  our  door 
in  safety.  Here  we  thundered  in  vain.  The  porter 
was  asleep,  and  for  nearly  ten  minutes,  we  heard 
voices  within,  male  and  female,  ineffectually  endeav¬ 
oring  to  persuade  the  heavy-headed  Cerberus  to  re¬ 
linquish  his  keys.  It  would  have  been  a  choice  mo¬ 
ment  for  our  friends,  had  any  of  them  wished  to 
accost  us  ;  but  either  they  had  not  observed  us,  or 

perhaps  they  thought  that  C - n  walking  so  late 

must  have  been  armed  ;  or  perhaps,  more  charitable 
construction,  they  had  profited  by  the  solemnities  of 
the  day. 

We  got  in  at  last,  and  I  felt  thankful  enough  for 
shelter  and  safety,  and  as  wearied  of  the  day’s  per¬ 
formances  as  you  may  be  in  reading  a  description  of 
them. 

Next  morning,  Sabado  de  Gloria,  I  could  not  per¬ 
suade  myself  to  go  as  far  as  the  Plaza,  to  see  the 
Iscariots  explode.  At  a  distance  we  listened  to  the 


A  BALL  IN  CONTEMPLATION. 


215 


hissing  and  crackling  of  the  fire-works,  the  ringing 
of  all  the  bells,  and  the  thundering  of  artillery  ;  and 
knew  by  the  hum  of  busy  voices,  and  the  rolling  of 
carriages,  that  the  Holy  Week  was  numbered  with 
the  past.  .  .  . 

We  hear  that  it  is  in  contemplation  amongst  the 
English  here,  headed  by  their  Minister,  to  give  a  ball 
in  the  Mineria,  to  celebrate  the  marriage  of  Queen 
Victoria,  which  will  be  turning  these  splendid  halls 
to  some  account.  .  .  . 

I  have  some  intention  of  giving  a  series  of  weekly 
soirees,  but  am  assured  that  they  will  not  succeed, 
because  hitherto  such  parties  have  failed.  As  a 
reason,  is  given  the  extravagant  notions  of  the 
ladies  in  point  of  dress,  and  it  is  said  that  nothing 
but  a  hall  where  they  can  wear  their  jewels  and  a 
toilette  therewith  consistent,  will  please  them  ;  that  a 
lady  of  high  rank  who  had  been  in  Madrid,  having 
proposed  simple  tertulias  and  white  muslin  dresses, 
half  the  men  in  Mexico  were  ruined  that  year  by  the 
embroidered  French  and  India  muslins  bought  by 
their  wives  during  this  reign  of  simplicity ;  the  idea 
of  a  plain  white  muslin,  a  dress  worn  by  any  lepera, 
never  having  struck  them  as  possible.  Nevertheless, 
we  can  but  make  the  attempt. 

We  propose  going  next  week  to  Tulansingo,  where 

our  friends  the  - have  a  country  place,  and  from 

thence  we  proceed  to  visit  the  mines  of  Real  del 
Monte. 

23d.  —  On  Monday  we  gave  a  Tertulia,  which, 
notwithstanding  all  predictions,  went  off  remarkably 
well,  and  consisted  of  nearly  all  the  pleasantest  people 


216 


TERTULIA. 


in  Mexico.  We  had  music,  dancing  and  cards,  and 
at  three  in  the  morning,  the  German  cotillon  was  still 
in  full  vigor.  Every  one  was  disposed  to  be  amused, 
and,  moreover,  the  young  ladies  were  dressed  very 
simply  ;  most  of  them  in  plain  white  muslins.  There 
was  but  a  small  sprinkling  of  diamonds,  and  that 
chiefly  among  the  elderly  part  of  the  community 
Still  it  is  said  that  the  novelty  alone  induced  them  to 
come,  and  that  weekly  soirees  will  not  succeed.  We 
shall  try.  Besides  which,  the  Lady  of  the - Min¬ 

ister  proposes  being  At  Home  on  Wednesday  even¬ 
ings  ;  the  Lady  of  the - Minister  takes  another 

evening ;  I,  a  third,  and  we  shall  see  what  can  be 
effected. 


LETTER  THE  FIFTEENTH. 


Letter  from  the  Archbishop- — Visit  to  the  “  Encarnacion"  — 
Reception  —  Description  —  The  Novices  —  Convent-supper  — 
Picturesque  scene  —  Sonata  on  the  Organ  —  Attempt  at  rob¬ 
bery —  Alarms  of  the  household  —  Visit  to  San  Agustin  — 
Anonymous  letter  —  The  Virgin  de  los  Remedios  —  Visit  to 
the  Chapel  —  The  Padre  —  The  Image  —  Anecdote  of  the  large 
pearl  —  A  mine. 

24th. 

The  Archbishop  has  not  only  granted  me  permission 
to  visit  the  convents,  but  permits  me  to  take  two 
ladies  along  with  me,  of  which  I  have  been  informed 
by  the  Minister,  Senor  C— — o,  in  a  very  amiable 
note,  just  received,  enclosing  one  from  Senor  Posada, 
which  I  translate  for  your  edification. 


To  His  Excellency,  Senor  Don  J.  de  D.  C - o. 

April  24 th,  1842. 

MY  DEAR  FRIEND  AND  COMPANION  : 

The  Abbess  and  Nuns  of  the  Convent  of  the  En¬ 
carnacion  are  now  prepared  to  receive  the  visit  of  our 
three  pilgrims,  next  Sunday,  at  half  past  four  in  the 
afternoon,  and  should  that  day  not  suit  them,  let  them 
mention  what  day  will  be  convenient. 

Afterwards  we  shall  arrange  their  visit  to  the  Con¬ 
cepcion,  Ensenanza  Antigua,  and  Jesus  Maria,  which 

19 


VOL.  I. 


218  THE  “  ENCARNACION.” 

are  the  best,  and  I  shall  let  you  know,  and  we  shall 
agree  upon  the  days  and  hours  most  suitable. 

I  remain  your  affectionate  friend  and  Cctpellan, 

Manuel  Posada. 

27 tli.  —  Accordingly,  on  Sunday  afternoon,  we 
drove  to  the  Encarnacion,  the  most  splendid  and 
richest  convent  in  Mexico,  excepting  perhaps  la  Con¬ 
cepcion.  If  it  were  in  any  other  country,  I  might 
mention  the  surpassing  beauty  of  the  evening,  but  as 
except  in  the  rainy  season,  which  has  not  yet  begun, 
the  evenings  are  always  beautiful,  the  weather  leaves 
no  room  for  description.  The  sky  always  blue,  the 
air  always  soft,  the  flowers  always  blossoming,  the 
birds  always  singing ;  Thomson  never  could  have 
written  his  “Seasons”  here.  We  descended  at  the 
convent  gate,  were  admitted  by  the  portress,  and  re¬ 
ceived  by  several  nuns,  their  faces  closely  covered 
with  a  double  crape  veil.  We  were  then  led  into 
a  spacious  hall,  hung  with  handsome  lustres,  and 
adorned  with  various  Virgins  and  Saints  magnificently 
dressed  ;  and  here  the  eldest,  a  very  dignified  old 
lady,  lifted  her  veil,  the  others  following  her  example, 
and  introduced  herself  as  the  Madre  Vicaria ;  bring¬ 
ing  us  many  excuses  from  the  old  Abbess,  who  having 
an  inflammation  in  her  eyes,  was  confined  to  her  cell. 
She  and  another  reverend  mother,  and  a  group  of 
elderly  dames,  tall,  thin  and  stately,  then  proceeded 
to  inform  us,  that  the  Archbishop  had,  in  person, 
given  orders  for  our  reception,  and  that  they  were 
prepared  to  show  us  the  whole  establishment. 

The  dress  is  a  long  robe  of  very  fine  white  casi- 


NUNS  AND  NOVICES. 


219 


mere,  a  thick  black  crape  veil,  and  long  rosary.  The 
dress  of  the  novices  is  the  same,  only  that  the  veil  is 
white.  For  the  first  half  hour  or  so,  I  fancied,  that 
along  with  their  politeness,  was  mingled  a  good  deal 
of  restraint,  caused  perhaps  by  the  presence  of  a 
foreigner,  and  especially  of  an  Englishwoman.  My 
companions  they  knew  well ;  the  Senorita  - - hav¬ 

ing  even  passed  some  months  there.  However  this 
may  have  been,  the  feeling  seemed  gradually  to  wear 
away.  Kindness  or  curiosity  triumphed  ;  their  ques¬ 
tions  became  unceasing  ;  and  before  the  visit  was 
concluded,  I  was  addressed  as  “  mi  vida  ”  my  life,  by 
the  whole  establishment.  Where  was  I  born  ?  Where 
had  I  lived  ?  What  convents  had  I  seen  ?  Which 
did  I  prefer,  the  convents  in  France,  or  those  in  Mex¬ 
ico  ?  Which  were  largest  ?  Which  had  the  best 
garden  ?  &c.,  &c.  Fortunately,  I  could,  with  truth, 
give  the  preference  to  their  convent,  as  to  spacious¬ 
ness  and  magnificence,  over  any  I  ever  saw. 

The  Mexican  style  of  building  is  peculiarly  advan¬ 
tageous  for  recluses  ;  the  great  galleries  and  courts 
affording  them  a  constant  supply  of  fresh  air,  while 
the  fountains  sound  so  cheerfully,  and  the  garden  in 
this  climate  of  perpetual  spring  affords  them  such  a 
constant  source  of  enjoyment  all  the  year  round,  that 
one  pities  their  secluded  state  much  less  here  than  in 
any  other  country. 

This  convent  is  in  fact  a  palace.  The  garden, 
into  which  they  led  us  first,  is  kept  in  good  order, 
with  its  stone  walks,  stone  benches,  and  an  ever- 
playing  and  sparkling  fountain.  The  trees  were 
bending  with  fruit,  and  they  pulled  quantities  of  the 


220 


CONVENT  GARDEN. 


most  beautiful  flowers  for  us  ;  sweet  pease  and  roses, 
with  which  all  gardens  here  abound,  carnations,  jas¬ 
mine  and  heliotrope.  It  was  a  pretty  picture  to  see 
them  wandering  about,  or  standing  in  groups  in  this 
high-walled  garden,  while  the  sun  was  setting  behind 
the  hills,  and  the  noise  of  the  city  was  completely 
excluded,  everything  breathing  repose  and  content¬ 
ment. 

Most  of  the  halls  in  the  convent  are  noble  rooms. 
We  visited  the  whole,  from  the  refectory  to  the 
botica,  and  admired  the  extreme  cleanness  of  every¬ 
thing,  especially  of  the  immense  kitchen,  which  seems 
hallowed  from  the  approach  even  of  a  particle  of 
dust  ;  this  circumstance  partly  accounted  for  by  the 
fact  that  each  nun  has  a  servant,  and  some  have  two  ; 
for  this  is  not  one  of  the  strictest  orders.  The  con¬ 
vent  is  rich  ;  each  novice  at  her  entrance  pays  five 
thousand  dollars  into  the  common  stock.  There  are 
about  thirty  nuns  and  ten  novices. 

The  prevailing  sin  in  a  convent  generally  seems 
to  be  pride  ; 

“  The  pride  that  apes  humility 

and  it  is  perhaps  nearly  inseparable  from  the  con¬ 
ventual  state.  Set  apart  from  the  rest  of  the  world, 
they,  from  their  little  world,  are  too  apt  to  look  down 
with  contempt  upon  all  who  do  not  belong  to  their 
community,  a  contempt  which  may  be  mingled  with 
envy,  or  modified  by  pity,  but  must  be  unsuited  to  a 
true  Christian  spirit. 

The  novices  were  presented  to  us  —  poor  little  en¬ 
trapped  things  !  who  really  believe  they  will  be  let 


CONVENT  SUPPER. 


221 


out  at  the  end  of  a  year  if  they  should  grow  tired,  as 
if  they  would  ever  be  permitted  to  grow  tired  !  The 
two  eldest  and  most  reverend  ladies  are  sisters,  thin, 
tall  and  stately,  with  high  noses,  and  remains  of 
beauty.  They  have  been  in  the  convent  since  they 
were  eight  years  old,  (which  is  remarkable,  as  sisters 
are  rarely  allowed  to  profess  in  the  same  establish¬ 
ment,)  and  consider  La  Encarnacion  as  a  small  piece 
of  heaven  upon  earth.  There  were  some  handsome 
faces  amongst  them,  and  one  whose  expression  and 
eyes  were  singularly  lovely,  but  truth  to  say,  these 
were  rather  exceptions  to  the  general  rule. 

Having  visited  the  whole  building,  and  admired 
one  virgin’s  blue  satin  and  pearls,  and  another’s  black 
velvet  and  diamonds,  sleeping  holy  infants,  saints, 
paintings,  shrines  and  confessionals,  having  even 
climbed  up  to  the  Azotea,  which  commands  a  mag¬ 
nificent  view,  we  came  at  length  to  a  large  hall,  dec¬ 
orated  with  paintings  and  furnished  with  antique 
high-backed  arm-chairs,  where  a  very  elegant  supper, 
lighted  up  and  ornamented,  greeted  our  astonished 
eyes  ;  cakes,  chocolate,  ices,  creams,  custards,  tarts, 
jellies,  blancmangers,  orange  and  lemonade,  and 
other  profane  dainties,  ornamented  with  gilt  paper 
cut  into  little  flags,  &c.  I  was  placed  in  a  chair 
that  might  have  served  for  a  pope,  under  a  holy 

family  ;  the  Sehora  — — -  and  the  Sehorita -  on 

either  side.  The  elder  nuns  in  stately  array,  occu¬ 
pied  the  other  arm-chairs,  and  looked  like  statues 
carved  in  stone.  A  young  girl,  a  sort  of  pension- 
naire,  brought  in  a  little  harp  without  pedals,  and 
while  we  discussed  cakes  and  ices,  sung  different 
19* 


222 


THE  ORGAN. 


ballads  with  a  good  deal  of  taste.  The  elder  nuns 
helped  us  to  everything,  but  tasted  nothing  them¬ 
selves.  The  younger  nuns  and  the  novices  were 
grouped  upon  a  mat  a  la  Turque,  and  a  more  pic¬ 
turesque  scene  altogether  one  could  scarcely  see. 

The  young  novices,  with  their  white  robes,  white 
veils  and  black  eyes,  the  severe  and  dignified  rnadres 
with  their  long  dresses  and  mournful-looking  black 
veils  and  rosaries,  the  veiled  figures  occasionally  flit¬ 
ting  along  the  corridor  ;  —  ourselves  in  contrast,  with 
our  worldly  dresses  and  colored  ribbands ;  and  the 
great  hall  lighted  by  one  immense  lamp  that  hung 
from  the  ceiling  —  I  felt  transported  three  centuries 
back,  and  half  afraid  that  the  whole  would  flit  away, 
and  prove  a  mere  vision,  a  waking  dream. 

A  gossiping  old  nun,  who  hospitably  filled  my 
plate  with  everything,  gave  me  the  enclosed  flag  cut 
in  gilt  paper,  which,  together  with  her  custards  and 
jellies,  looked  less  unreal.  They  asked  many  ques¬ 
tions  in  regard  to  Spanish  affairs,  and  were  not  to 
be  consoled  for  the  defeat  of  Don  Carlos,  which 
they  feared  would  be  an  end  of  the  true  religion  in 
Spain. 

After  supper,  we  proceeded  up  stairs  to  the  choir, 
(where  the  nuns  attend  public  worship,  and  which 
looks  down  upon  the  handsome  convent  church,)  to  try 
the  organ.  I  was  set  down  to  a  Sonata  of  Mozart’s, 
the  servants  blowing  the  bellows.  It  seems  to  me 
that  I  made  more  noise  than  music,  for  the  organ  is 
very  old,  perhaps  as  old  as  the  convent,  which  dates 
three  centuries  back.  However,  the  nuns  were 
pleased,  and  after  they  had  sung  a  hymn,  we  re- 


ROBBERS. 


223 


turned  below.  I  was  rather  sorry  to  leave  them, 
and  felt  as  if  I  could  have  passed  some  time  there 
very  contentedly ;  but  it  was  near  nine  o’clock,  and 
we  were  obliged  to  take  our  departure  ;  so  having 
been  embraced  very  cordially  by  the  whole  com¬ 
munity,  we  left  the  hospitable  walls  of  the  Encarna- 
cion . 

28 th.  —  Last  evening  we  were  sitting  at  home 

very  quietly,  about  ten  o’clock,  C - n,  Monsieur  de 

• -  of  the  -  Legation  and  I,  when  A - 

rushed  into  the  room  all  dishevelled.  “  Come  quick¬ 
ly,  sir !  Robbers  are  breaking  open  the  kitchen 
door !  ”  A  succession  of  feminine  shrieks  in  the 

distance,  added  effect  to  her  words.  C - n  jumped 

up,  ran  for  his  pistols,  gave  one  to  Monsieur  de - , 

called  up  the  soldiers,  but  no  robbers  appeared.  The 
kitchen-door  was  indeed  open,  and  the  trembling 
galopina  attested,  that  being  in  the  kitchen  alone, 
dimly  lighted  by  one  small  lamp,  three  men,  all 
armed,  had  entered,  and  had  rushed  out  again  on 
hearing  her  give  the  alarm.  We  somewhat  doubted 
her  assertions,  but  the  next  morning  found  that  the 
men  had  in  fact  escaped  by  the  Azolea,  a  great  as¬ 
sistance  to  all  Mexican  depredators.  At  the  end  of 
this  row  of  houses,  the  people  ran  out  and  fired  upon 
them,  but  without  effect.  The  house  of  the  old 

Countess  of  S — —  F - has  been  broken  into,  her 

porter  wounded,  report  says  killed,  and  her  plate 
carried  off.  In  the  mean  time,  our  soldiers  watch  in 
the  kitchen,  a  pair  of  loaded  pistols  adorn  the  table, 
a  double-barrelled  gun  stands  in  the  corner,  and  a 
bull-dog  growls  in  the  gallery.  This  little  passing 


224 


FEARS. 


visit  to  us  was  probably  caused  by  the  arrival  of 
some  large  boxes  from  London,  especially  of  a  very 
fine  harp  and  piano,  both  Erard's ,  which  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  unpacked  this  morning,  and  which, 
in  spite  of  jolting  and  bad  roads,  have  arrived  in 
perfect  condition . 

Thus  far  I  had  written,  it  being  now  the  evening, 
and  I  sitting  alone,  when  a  succession  of  shrieks 
arose,  even  more  awful  than  those  which  alarmed  us 
last  night.  At  the  same  time  the  old  galopina,  her 
daughter,  and  a  French  girl  who  lives  here,  rushed 
shouting  along  the  gallery  ;  not  a  word  they  said 
comprehensible,  but  something  concerning  “  a  robber 
in  black,  with  men  at  his  back,  who  had  burst  open 
the  door.”  At  the  noise,  the  whole  household  had 
assembled.  One  ran  this  way,  one  ran  that.  A  lit¬ 
tle  French  teinturier,  who  it  appeared  had  been 
paying  the  maids  a  polite  visit,  seized  the  loaded 
gun  ;  the  footman  took  a  pistol,  and  hid  himself  be¬ 
hind  the  porter  ;  A - ,  like  a  second  Joan  of  Arc, 

appeared  with  a  rusty  sabre  ;  the  soldiers  rushed  up 
with  their  bayonets  ;  the  coachman  stood  aloof  with 
nothing  ;  the  porter  led  up  the  rear,  holding  a  large 
dog  by  the  collar  ;  but  no  robber  appears  ;  and  the 
girls  are  all  sobbing  and  crying  because  we  doubt 
their  having  seen  one.  Galopina  the  younger,  shed¬ 
ding  tears  in  torrents,  swears  to  the  man.  Galopina 
the  elder,  enveloped  in  hei  reboso,  swears  to  any 
number  of  men  ;  and  the  recamerera  has  cried  her¬ 
self  into  a  fit  between  fear  and  indignation. 

Such  is  the  agreeable  state  of  things  about  nine 
o’clock  this  evening,  for  one  real  attempt  to  enter 


ANONYMOUS  LETTER. 


225 


the  house,  invariably  gives  rise  to  a  thousand  imag¬ 
inary  attacks  and  fanciful  alarms . 

After  many  attempts  at  walking,  I  have  very 
nearly  abandoned  it,  but  take  a  great  deal  of  exer¬ 
cise  both  on  horseback  and  in  the  carriage,  which 
last,  on  account  of  the  ill-paved  condition  of  the 
streets,  affords  rather  more  exercise  than  the  former. 
I  drove  out  this  morning,  in  an  open  carriage,  with 
the  Senorita  E — — —  to  her  country-house  at  San 
Agustin,  the  gambling  emporium.  But  the  famous 
annual  fete  does  not  take  place  till  Whitsunday,  and 
the  pretty  country  villas  there  are  at  present  aban¬ 
doned.  We  walked  in  the  garden  till  the  sun  be¬ 
came  insupportable.  The  fragrance  of  the  roses  and 
jasmine  was  almost  overpowering.  There  are  trees 
of  mille-flcur  roses ;  heliotrope  and  honeysuckle 
cover  every  pillar,  and  yellow  jasmine  trails  over 
everything . 

Found  on  my  return  an  anonymous  letter,  beg¬ 
ging  me  to  “  beware  of  my  cook !”  and  signed 
Fernandez.  Having  shown  it  to  some  gentlemen 
who  dined  here,  one  thought  it  might  be  a  plan  of 
the  robbers  to  get  rid  of  the  cook,  whom  they  con¬ 
sidered  in  their  way  ;  another,  with  more  probability, 
that  it  was  merely  a  plan  of  the  attentive  Seiior  Fer¬ 
nandez  to  get  the  cook’s  place  for  himself.  .  .  . 

We  went  lately  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  celebrated 
Virgin  de  los  Remedies,  the  Gachupina,  the  Spanish 
patroness,  and  rival  of  Our  Lady  of  Guadalupe. 
This  virgin  was  brought  over  by  Cortes,  and  when  he 
displaced  the  Indian  idols  in  the  great  Temple  of 
Mexico,  caused  them  to  be  broken  in  pieces,  and  the 


226 


VIRGIN  DE  LOS  REMEDIOS. 


sanctuary  to  be  purified,  he  solemnly  placed  there  a 
crucifix  and  this  image  of  the  virgin  ;  then  kneeling 
before  it,  gave  solemn  thanks  to  heaven,  which  had 
permitted  him  thus  to  adore  the  Most  High,  in  a 
place  so  long  profaned  by  the  most  cruel  idolatries. 

It  is  said  that  this  image  was  brought  to  Mexico 
by  a  soldier  of  Cortes’s  army,  called  Yillafuerte,  and 
that  the  day  succeeding  the  terrible  Noche  Triste, 
it  was  concealed  by  him  in  the  place  where  it  was 
afterwards  discovered.  At  all  events,  the  image  dis¬ 
appeared,  and  nothing  further  was  known  of  it,  until, 
on  the  top  of  a  barren  and  treeless  mountain,  in  the 
heart  of  a  large  maguey,  she  was  found  by  a  fortu¬ 
nate  Indian.  Her  restoration  was  joyfully  hailed  by 
the  Spaniards.  A  church  was  erected  on  the  spot. 
A  priest  was  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the  mirac¬ 
ulous  image.  Her  fame  spread  abroad.  Gifts  of 
immense  value  were  brought  to  her  shrine.  A  treas¬ 
urer  was  appointed  to  take  care  of  her  jewels  ;  a 
camarista  to  superintend  her  rich  wardrobe.  No 
rich  dowager  died  in  peace  until  she  had  bequeathed 
to  Our  Lady  of  Los  Remedios  her  largest  diamond, 
or  her  richest  pearl.  In  seasons  of  drought  she  is 
brought  in  from  her  dwelling  in  the  mountain,  and 
carried  in  procession  through  the  streets.  The  Vice¬ 
roy  himself  on  foot  used  to  lead  the  holy  train.  One 
of  the  highest  rank  drives  the  chariot  in  which  she  is 
seated.  In  succession  she  visits  the  principal  con¬ 
vents,  and  as  she  is  carried  through  the  cloistered 
precincts,  the  nuns  are  ranged  on  their  knees  in 
humble  adoration.  Plentiful  rains  immediately  fol¬ 
low  her  arrival.  - ,  who  accompanied  us,  has  on 


HER  SANCTUARY. 


227 


several  occasions  filled  the  office  of  her  coachman,  by 
which  means  he  has  seen  the  interior  of  most  of  the 
convents  in  Mexico.  It  is  true  that  there  came  a 
time,  when  the  famous  curate  Hidalgo,  the  prime  mover 
of  the  Revolution,  having  taken  as  his  standard  an 
image  of  the  virgin  of  Guadalupe,  a  rivalry  arose  be¬ 
tween  her  and  the  Spanish  virgin  ;  and  Hidalgo 
having  been  defeated  and  forced  to  fly,  the  image  of 
the  Virgin  de  los  Remedios  was  conducted  to  Mexico 
dressed  as  a  General,  and  invoked  as  the  Patroness 
of  Spain.  Later  still,  the  virgin  herself  was  de¬ 
nounced  as  a  Gachupina  !  her  General’s  sash  boldly 

torn  from  her  by  the  valiant  General  - - ,  who  also 

signed  her  passport,  with  an  order  for  her  to  leave 
the  Republic.  However,  she  was  again  restored  to 
her  honors,  and  still  retains  her  treasurers,  her  cam- 
arista,  and  sanctum  sanctorum. 

Being  desirous  of  seeing  this  celebrated  image,  we 

set  off,  one  fine  afternoon,  in  a  carriage  of  - ’s 

drawn  by  six  unbroken  horses,  accompanied  by  him 
and  his  lady,  and  performed  four  leagues  of  bad  road 
in  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time.  The  horses 
themselves  were  in  an  evident  state  of  astonishment, 
for  after  kicking  and  plunging,  and  as  they  imagined 
running  "away,  they  found  themselves  driven  much 
faster  than  they  had  the  slightest  intention  of  going : 

so  after  a  little  while  they  acknowledged  in  - ’s 

capital  coachman,  une  main  de  maitre. 

The  mountain  is  barren  and  lonely,  but  the  view 
from  its  summit,  is  beautiful,  commanding  the  whole 
plain.  The  church  is  old  and  not  very  remarkable, 
yet  a  picturesque  object,  as  it  stands  in  its  gray  soli- 


228 


THE  IMAGE* 


tariness,  with  one  or  two  trees  beside  it,  of  which 
one  without  leaves  was  entirely  covered  with  the 

most  brilliant  scarlet  flowers.  Sehor  -  having 

been  the  Virgin’s  coachman,  the  Senora - being 

the  daughter  of  her  camarista,  and  C - -n  the  Min¬ 

ister  from  the  land  of  her  predilection,  we  were  not 
astonished  at  the  distinguished  reception  which  we 
met  with  from  the  reverend  padre,  the  guardian  of 
the  mountain.  The  church  within  is  handsome; 
and  above  the  altar  is  a  copy  of  the  original  Virgin. 
After  we  had  remained  there  a  little  while,  we  were 
admitted  into  the  Sanctum,  where  the  identical  Vir¬ 
gin  of  Cortes,  with  a  large  silver  maguey,  occupies 
her  splendid  shrine.  The  priest  retired  and  put 
on  his  robes,  and  then  returning,  and  all  kneeling 
before  the  altar,  he  recited  the  credo.  This  over,  he 
mounted  the  steps,  and  opening  the  shrine  where  the 
Virgin  was  encased,  knelt  down  and  removed  her  in 
his  arms.  He  then  presented  her  to  each  of  us  in 
succession,  every  one  kissing  the  hem  of  her  satin 
robe.  She  was  afterwards  replaced  with  the  same 
ceremony. 

The  image  is  a  wooden  doll,  about  a  foot  high, 
holding  in  its  arms  an  infant  Jesus,  both  faces  evi¬ 
dently  carved  with  a  rude  penknife  ;  two  holes  for 
the  eyes,  and  another  for  the  mouth.  This  doll  was 
dressed  in  blue  satin  and  pearls,  with  a  crown  upon 
her  head  and  a  quantity  of  hair  fastened  on  to  the 
crown.  No  Indian  idol  could  be  much  uglier.  As 
she  has  been  a  good  deal  scratched  and  destroyed  in 
the  lapse  of  ages,  C - n  observed  that  he  was  as¬ 

tonished  they  had  not  tried  to  restore  her  a  little. 


A  MINE. 


229 


To  this  the  padre  replied,  that  the  attempt  had  been 
made  by  several  artists,  each  one  of  whom  had  sick¬ 
ened  and  died.  He  also  mentioned  as  one  of  her 
miracles,  that  living  on  a  solitary  mountain,  she  had 
never  been  robbed ;  but  I  fear  the  good  padre  is 
somewhat  oblivious ,  as  this  sacrilege  has  happened 
more  than  once.  On  one  occasion,  a  crowd  of  lepe- 
ros  being  collected,  and  the  image  carried  round  to 
be  kissed,  one  of  them,  affecting  intense  devotion, 
bitoff  the  large  pearl  that  adorned  her  dress  in  front, 
and  before  the  theft  was  discovered,  he  had  mingled 
with  the  crowd  and  escaped.  When  reminded  of 
the  circumstance,  the  padre  said  it  was  true,  but  that 
the  thief  was  a  Frenchman.  After  taking  leave  of 
the  Virgin,  we  visited  the  padre  in  his  own  old  house, 
attached  to  the  church,  where  his  only  attendant,  as 
usual  among  padres,  is  an  old  woman. 

We  then  made  our  way  on  foot  down  a  steep  hill, 
stopping  to  admire  some  noble  stone  arches,  the  re¬ 
mains  of  an  aqueduct  built  by  the  Spaniards  for  con¬ 
veying  water  from  one  mountain  to  the  other  ;  and 
with  an  Indian  for  our  guide,  visited  a  newly-dis¬ 
covered,  though  anciently-opened  mine,  said  to  be  of 
silver,  and  which  had  until  lately  been  covered  with 
rubbish.  We  groped  through  it,  and  found  vaults 

and  excavations  and  a  deep  pit  of  water.  C - ~n 

got  some  Indians  to  break  off  pieces  of  stone  for  him, 
which  were  put  into  a  sack,  and  sent  home  for  exam¬ 
ination.  We  were  so  tired  of  our  walk  down  this 
steep  and  mountainous  path,  that  on  our  return  I 
mounted  a  horse  with  a  man’s  saddle,  belonging  to 
one  of  the  servants,  and  contrived  to  keep  on,  while 
20 


VOL.  I. 


230 


RETURN. 


it  climbed  up  the  perpendicular  ascent.  As  this  seem¬ 
ed  rather  a  selfish  proceeding  while  the  others  walk¬ 
ed,  I  invited  the  Sebora - to  mount  also  in  front, 

which  she  did,  and  the  path  being  almost  perpendic¬ 
ular,  my  head  nearly  touched  the  ground,  which  cer¬ 
tainly  made  the  seat  not  over  safe  or  easy.  How¬ 
ever,  we  reached  the  top  of  the  mountain  in  safety, 
though  somewhat  exhausted  with  laughing,  and  were 
driven  home  with  the  speed  of  a  rail-car. 


LETTER  THE  SIXTEENTH. 


Mexico  in  May  —  Leave  Mexico  for  Santiago  —  Coacli  of  Charles 
Tenth  —  Mexican  Travelling  —  General  Aspect  of  the  coun¬ 
try —  Village  of  Santa  Clara  —  Robbers’  House  —  Temples  of 
the  Sun  and  Moon — San  Juan  —  Mexican  Posada — School- 
house —  Skulls  —  Hard  fare  —  Travelling  Dress- — Sopayuca 

—  Military  Administrador  —  Santiago  —  Matadors  and  Picadors 

—  Evenings  in  the  country  —  Dances  —  Mexican  Songs  — 
Cempoala — Plaza  de  Toros  —  Skill  of  the  Horsemen  —  Oma- 
tusco  —  Accident  —  Tulansingo  —  Beautiful  Garden  —  Mexi¬ 
can  Dishes  —  Fruits  — Horses —  Games  of  Forfeits  —  Ranche- 
ra’s  Dress  —  Young  Girls  and  their  admirers  —  Verses  — 
Knowledge  of  simple  medicine  —  Indian  Baths  —  Hidden 
treasures  —  Anecdote. 

Santiago,  6th  May. 

Before  the  setting  in  of  the  rainy  season,  we  ac¬ 
cepted  of  the  invitation  of  our  friends  the - ’s,  to 

visit  their  different  haciendas,  as  in  a  short  time  the 
roads  will  become  nearly  impassable.  The  country 
in  May  is  perhaps  at  its  highest  beauty,  or  even  a 
little  earlier  ;  as  already  the  great  blow  of  roses  is 
nearly  over ;  au  reste  there  are  roses  all  the  year 
round,  though  more  in  December  than  in  July.  And 
this,  by  the  way,  is  rather  a  source  of  disappointment 
to  the  unwary  traveller.  He  arrives  in  December, 
and  finds  the  gardens  full  of  flowers.  “  If  this  be 
the  case  in  December,”  says  he  to  himself,  “  what 
will  it  be  in  May?”  May  comes  —  the  roses  are 
over,  and  the  chief  flowers  in  the  gardens  are  dahlias 


232 


COMMODIOUS  CARRIAGE. 


and  marigolds,  our  autumnal  flowers  —  September, 
and  these  autumnal  flowers  still  bloom,  and  with 
them  you  have  mignonette  and  roses,  and  then  pinks 
and  jasmine,  and  other  flowers.  In  fact  there  seems 
to  be  no  particular  season  for  anything. 

The  weather  at  present  is  neither  warm  nor  cold, 
but  colder  here  than  in  Mexico,  and  when  it  does 
not  rain,  it  is  lovely.  Already  there  has  been  much 
rain,  and  the  torrents  are  so  swelled,  that  there  was 
some  doubt  as  to  whether  our  carriages  could  pass 
them. 

Yesterday,  at  five  in  the  morning,  we  left  Mexico, 
in  a  coach  once  the  property  of  Charles  the  Tenth. 
“  Sic  transit,”  &.c. ;  and  a  most  luxurious  travelling 
carriage  is  that  of  his  Ex-Majesty,  entirely  covered 
with  gilding,  save  where  the  lilies  of  France  sur¬ 
mount  the  crown,  (sad  emblems  of  the  fallen  dynas¬ 
ty  ! )  lined  with  white  satin,  with  violet-colored  bind¬ 
ing,  the  satin  cushions  most  excellently  stuffed ; 
large,  commodious,  and  with  a  movement  as  soft  as 
that  of  a  gondola. 

A  Frenchman  bought  it  on  a  speculation,  and 
brought  it  here  for  sale.  In  former  days,  from  its 
gilding  and  showy  appearance,  it  would  have  brought 
any  price ;  but  the  taste  for  gaudy  equipages  has 
gone  by  since  the  introduction  of  foreign  and  es¬ 
pecially  of  English  carriages  ;  and  the  present  pro¬ 
prietor,  who  bought  it  for  its  intrinsic  good  qualities, 
paid  but  a  moderate  sum  for  it.  In  this  carriage, 
drawn  by  six  strong  horses,  with  two  first-rate  coach¬ 
men,  and  several  out-riders  well  armed,  we  went 
along  at  great  speed.  The  drivers,  dressed  Mexican 


postilion’s  dresses. 


233 


fashion,  with  all  their  accoutrements  smart  and  new, 
looked  very  picturesque.  Jackets  and  trowsers  of 
deer-skin,  the  jackets  embroidered  in  green,  with 
hanging  silver  buttons,  the  trowsers  also  embroidered 
and  slit  up  the  side  of  the  leg,  trimmed  with  silver 
buttons,  and  showing  an  under  pair  of  unbleached 
linen ;  these,  with  the  postilions’  boots,  and  great 
hats  with  gold  rolls,  form  a  dress  which  would  faire 
fureur,  if  some  adventurous  Mexican  would  venture 
to  display  it  on  the  streets  of  London. 

We  left  the  city  by  the  gate  of  Guadalupe,  and 
passed  by  the  great  cathedral,  our  road  lying  over  the 
marshy  plains  once  covered  by  the  waters  of  Lake 
Tezcuco. 

To  the  east  lay  the  great  Lake,  its  broad  waters 
shining  like  a  sheet  of  molten  silver,  and  the  two 
great  volcanoes  ;  the  rising  sun  forming  a  crown  of 
rays  on  the  white  brow  of  Popocatapetl. 

To  describe  once  for  all  the  general  aspect  of  the 
country  on  this  side  of  the  valley  of  Mexico  ;  suffice 
it  to  say,  that  there  is  a  universal  air  of  dreariness, 
vastness  and  desolation.  The  country  is  flat,  but 
always  enlivened  by  the  surrounding  mountains,  like 
an  uninteresting  painting  in  a  diamond  frame  ;  and 
yet  it  is  not  wholly  uninteresting.  It  has  a  character 
peculiar  to  itself,  great  plains  of  maguey,  with  its 
huts  with  uncultivated  patches,  that  have  once  been 
gardens,  still  filled  with  flowers  and  choked  with 
weeds  ;  the  huts  themselves,  generally  of  mud,  yet 
not  unfrequently  of  solid  stone,  roofless  and  window¬ 
less,  with  traces  of  having  been  fine  buildings  in  for¬ 
mer  days  ;  the  complete  solitude,  unbroken  except 
20* 


234 


SANTA  CLARA. 


by  the  passing  Indian,  certainly  as  much  in  a  state  of 
savage  nature  as  the  lower  class  of  Mexicans  were 
when  Cortes  first  traversed  these  plains  ;  —  with  the 
same  character,  gentle  and  cowardly,  false  and  cun¬ 
ning,  as  weak  animals  are  apt  to  be  by  nature,  and 
indolent  and  improvident  as  men  are  in  a  fine  cli¬ 
mate  ;  ruins  everywhere  —  here  a  Viceroy’s  coun¬ 
try  palace,  serving  as  a  tavern,  where  the  mules  stop 
to  rest,  and  the  drivers  to  drink  pulque  —  there,  a 
whole  village  crumbling  to  pieces ;  roofless  houses, 
broken-down  walls  and  arches,  an  old  church  —  the 
remains  of  a  convent.  ...  For  leagues,  scarcely  a 
tree  to  be  seen  ;  then  a  clump  of  the  graceful  Arbol 
de  Peru,  or  one  great  cypress  —  long  strings  of  mules 
and  asses,  with  their  drivers  —  pasture-fields  with 
cattle  —  then  again  whole  tracts  of  maguey,  as  far 
as  the  eye  can  reach  ;  no  roads  worthy  of  the  name, 
but  a  passage  made  between  fields  of  maguey,  bor¬ 
dered  by  crumbling  down  low  stone  walls,  causing  a 
jolting  from  which  not  even  the  easy  movement 
of  Charles  the  Tenth’s  coach  can  save  us.  But 
the  horses  go  at  full  gallop,  accustomed  to  go  through 
and  over  everything. 

The  first  village  we  saw  was  Santa  Clara,  to  our 
left,  lying  at  the  foot  of  some  dark  hills,  with  its 
white  church  and  flat-roofed  or  no-roofed  houses. 
There  being  no  shade,  frequently  not  a  tree  for 
leagues,  the  sun  and  dust  were  disagreeable,  and  be¬ 
came  more  so  as  the  day  advanced.  Here  it  came 
to  pass,  that  travelling  rapidly  over  these  hot  and 
dusty  plains,  the  wheels  of  our  carriage  began  to 
smoke.  No  house  was  in  sight  —  no  water  within 


robbers’  house. 


235 


ken.  It  was  a  case  of  difficulty ;  when  suddenly 

- - recollected  that  not  far  from  thence  was  an  old 

rancho,  a  deserted  farm-house,  at  present  occupied 
by  robbers ;  and  having  ordered  the  coachman  to 
drive  to  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  this  house,  he 
sent  a  servant  on  horseback  with  a  medio  (fourpence) 
to  bring  some  water,  which  was  treating  the  robbers 
like  honorable  men.  The  man  galloped  off,  and 
shortly  returned  with  a  can  full  of  water,  which  he 
carried  back  when  the  fire  was  extinguished. 

Meanwhile  we  examined,  as  well  as  we  could,  the 
external  appearance  of  the  robbers’  domicile,  which 
was  an  old  half-ruined  house,  standing  alone  on  the 
plain,  with  no  tree  near  it.  Several  men,  with  guns, 
were  walking  up  and  down  before  the  house  —  sport¬ 
ing-looking  characters,  but  rather  dirty  —  apparently 
either  waiting  for  some  expected  game,  or  going  in 
search  of  it.  Women,  with  rebosos,  were  carrying 
water,  and  walking  amongst  them.  There  were  also 
a  number  of  dogs.  The  well-armed  men  who  ac¬ 
companied  us,  and  the  name  of - ,  so  well  known 

in  these  parts,  that  once  when  his  carriage  was  sur¬ 
rounded  by  robbers,  he  merely  mentioned  who  he 
was,  and  they  retreated  with  many  apologies  for 
their  mistake,  precluded  all  danger  of  an  attack  — 
but  woe  to  the  solitary  horseman  or  unescorted  car¬ 
riage  that  may  pass  thereby  !  Nor,  indeed,  are  they 

always  in  the  same  mood  ;  for  Seiior - ’s  houses 

have  been  frequently  attacked  in  his  absence,  and  his 
hacienda  at  Santiago  once  stood  a  regular  siege,  the 
robbers  being  at  length  repulsed  by  the  bravery  of 
his  servants. 


236 


PYRAMIDS. 


We  set  off  again  au  grand  galop,  drivers  and 
outriders  giving,  from  time  to  time,  the  most  extra¬ 
ordinary  shrieks  to  encourage  the  horses  and  to  amuse 
themselves,  wild  and  shrill  enough  to  frighten  any 
civilized  quadruped.  The  road  grew  more  pic¬ 
turesque  as  we  advanced,  and  at  length  our  attention 
was  arrested  by  the  sight  of  the  two  great  pyramids, 
which  rise  to  the  east  of  the  town  of  San  Juan 
Teotihuacan,  which  are  mentioned  by  Humboldt, 
and  have  excited  the  curiosity  and  attention  of  every 
succeeding  traveller.  These  huge  masses  were  con¬ 
secrated  to  the  sun  and  moon,  which,  in  the  time  of 
Cortes,  were  there  represented  by  two  vast  stone 
idols,  covered  with  gold.  The  conquerors  made  use 
of  the  gold,  and  broke  the  idols  in  pieces,  by  order 
of  the  first  bishop  of  Mexico.  Unfortunately,  our 
time  was  too  limited  to  give  them  more  than  a  pass¬ 
ing  observation.  Fragments  of  obsidian,  in  the  form 
of  knives  and  of  arrows,  with  which  the  priests  opened 
the  breasts  of  their  human  victims,  are  still  to  be 
found  there ;  and  numerous  small  idols  made  of 
baked  clay,  are  to  be  seen  both  there  and  in  the 
plains  adjoining.  The  Indians  rather  dislike  to  guide 
travellers  to  these  pyramids,  and  their  reluctance  to 
do  so  has  increased  the  popular  belief  of  the  exist¬ 
ence  of  great  concealed  treasures  near  or  in  them. 

The  whole  plain  on  which  these  great  pyramids 
stand,  was  formerly  called  Micoatl,  or  the  Pathway 
of  the  Dead  ;  and  the  hundreds  of  smaller  pyramids 
which  surround  the  larger  ones,  (the  Temples  of  the 
Sun  and  Moon,)  are  symetrically  disposed  in  wide 
streets,  forming  a  great  burial-plain,  composed  per- 


PYRAMIDS. 


237 


haps  of  the  dust  of  their  ancient  warriors,  an  Aztec 
or  Toltec  Pere-le-Chaise,  or  rather  a  roofless  West¬ 
minster  Abbey.  So  few  of  the  ancient  teocallis  now 
remain,  and  these  being  nearly  the  only  traces  now 
existing  of  that  extraordinary  race,  we  regretted  the 
more  not  being  able  to  devote  some  time  to  their  ex¬ 
amination.  Fanaticism  and  policy  induced  the 
Spanish  conquerors  to  destroy  these  heathen  temples, 
and  when  we  recollect  that  at  the  time  of  the  reform¬ 
ation  in  civilized  England,  the  most  splendid  Catholic 
edifices  were  made  level  with  the  ground,  in  compli¬ 
ance  with  the  ferocious  edict  of  John  Knox,  “  Ding 
down  the  nests,  and  the  rooks  will  fly  off;”  we  can 
have  little  wonder  or  blame  to  bestow  upon  Cortes, 
who,  in  the  excitement  of  a  siege,  gave  orders  for  the 
destruction  of  these  blood-stained  sanctuaries.  In 
the  afternoon,  we  arrived  at  San  Juan,  a  pretty  vil¬ 
lage,  boasting  of  an  inn,  a  school-house,  an  avenue 
of  fine  trees,  and  a  stream  of  clear  water.  It  is  true 
that  the  inn  is  a  Mexican  posada,  bearing  as  much 
resemblance  to  what  is  generally  called  an  inn,  as  an 
hacienda  does  to  an  English  country-house  ;  the 
school-house,  a  room  with  a  mud  floor  and  a  few  dirty 
benches,  occupied  by  little  ragged  boys  and  girls  ;  but 
the  avenue  is  pretty,  the  grass  as  green  as  emeralds, 
and  the  water  crystal.  We  walked  out  while  they 
changed  horses,  of  which  Senor  — —  had  fresh  re¬ 
lays  of  his  own  prepared  all  along  the  road  ;  and  en¬ 
tered  the  school-house,  attracted  by  the  noise  and  the 
invitingly  open  door.  The  master  was  a  poor,  rag¬ 
ged,  pale,  care-worn  looking  young  man,  seemingly 
half-dinned  with  the  noise,  but  very  earnest  in  his 


238 


SAN  JUAN. 


work.  The  children,  all  speaking  at  once,  were 
learning  to  spell  out  of  some  old  bills  of  Congress. 
Several  moral  sentences  were  written  on  the  wall  in 
very  independent  orthography.  C - n  having  re¬ 

marked  to  the  master  that  they  were  ill-spelt,  he 
seemed  very  much  astonished,  and  even  inclined  to 
doubt  the  fact.  I  thought  it  was  one  of  those  cases 
where  ignorance  is  bliss,  and  fear  the  observation  may 
have  cost  the  young  man  a  night’s  rest. 

A  row  of  grinning  skulls  was  ranged  round  the 
wall  of  the  church-yard,  and  the  sexton,  who  gave  us 
admittance  to  the  church,  taking  up  one  to  shew  it 
off’,  it  all  crumbled  into  dust,  which  filled  the  air  like 
a  cloud. 

At  the  posada  they  gave  us  rancid  sheep’s  milk, 

cheese,  and  biscuits  so  hard  that  C - n  asked  the 

host  if  they  were  made  in  the  same  year  with  the 
church,  at  which  he  seemed  mightily  pleased,  and 
could  not  stop  laughing  till  we  got  into  the  carriage. 

Soon  after  leaving  San  Juan,  we  were  met  by  the 

Sehora  de  - ,  in  an  open  carriage,  coming  with 

her  children  to  meet  us,  and  though  she  had  travel¬ 
led  since  sunrise  from  her  hacienda,  she  appeared  as 
if  freshly  dressed  for  an  evening  party  ;  her  dress, 
amber-colored  crape,  trimmed  with  white  blonde, 
short  sleeves  and  decoltee ;  a  set  of  beautiful  Neapo¬ 
litan  strawberry-coral,  set  in  gold,  straw-colored  satin 
shoes,  and  a  little  China  crape  shawl,  embroidered  in 
bright  flowers  ;  her  hair  dressed  and  uncovered. 

We  stopped  at  their  hacienda  of  Sopayuca,  an  old 
house,  standing  solitarily  in  the  midst  of  great  fields 
of  maguey.  It  has  a  small  deserted  garden  adjoining, 


SOPAYUCA. 


239 


amongst  whose  tangled  bnshes  a  pretty  little  tame 
deer  was  playing,  with  its  half-startled  look,  and  full 
wild  eye.  We  found  an  excellent  breakfast  prepared, 
and  here,  for  the  first  time,  I  conceived  the  possibility 
of  not  disliking  pulque.  We  visited  the  large  build¬ 
ings  where  it  is  kept,  and  found  it  rather  refreshing, 
with  a  sweet  taste  and  a  creamy  froth  upon  it ;  and 
with  a  much  less  decided  odor  than  that  which  is  sold 
in  Mexico. 

This  hacienda  is  under  the  charge  of  an  adminis- 

trador,  to  whom  - pays  a  large  annual  sum,  and 

whose  place  is  by  no  means  a  sinecure,  as  he  lives  in 
perpetual  danger  from  robbers.  He  is  captain  of  a 
troop  of  soldiers,  and  as  his  life  has  been  spent  in 
“  persecuting  robbers,”  he  is  an  object  of  intense 
hatred  to  that  free  and  independent  body,  and  has 
some  thoughts  of  removing  to  another  part  of  the 
country,  where  he  may  be  more  tranquil.  He  gave 
us  a  terrible  account  of  these  night  attacks,  of  the 
ineffectual  protection  afforded  him  by  the  government, 
and  of  the  nearly  insuperable  difficulties  thrown  in 
the  way  of  any  attempt  to  bring  these  men  to  justice. 
He  lately  told  the  President  that  he  had  some  thoughts 
of  joining  the  robbers  himself,  as  they  were  the  only 
persons  in  the  Republic  protected  by  the  government. 
The  President,  however,  is  not  to  blame  in  this  mat¬ 
ter.  He  has  used  every  endeavor  to  check  these 
abuses  ;  and  difficulties  have  been  thrown  in  his  way 
from  very  unexpected  sources.  .  .  . 

Apropos  to  which,  the - Consul  told  us  the 

other  day,  that  some  time  ago,  having  occasion  to 
consult  Judge -  upon  an  affair  of  importance,  he 


240 


SANTIAGO. 


was  shown  into  an  apartment  where  that  functionary 
was  engaged  in  conversation  with  some  suspicious- 
looking  individuals,  or  rather  who  were  above  suspi¬ 
cion,  their  appearance  plainly  indicating  their  call¬ 
ing.  On  the  table  before  him  lay  a  number  of  guns, 
swords,  pistols,  and  all  sorts  of  arms.  The  Judge 

requested  Monsieur  de - to  be  seated,  observing 

that  he  was  investigating  a  case  of  robbery  commit¬ 
ted  by  these  persons.  The  robbers  were  seated, 
smoking  very  much  at  their  ease,  and  the  Judge  was 
enjoying  the  same  innocent  recreation  ;  when  his 
cigar  becoming  extinguished,  one  of  these  gentle¬ 
men  taking  his  from  his  mouth,  handed  it  to  the 
magistrate,  who  relighted  his  puro  (cigar)  at  it,  and  re¬ 
turned  it  with  a  polite  bow.  In  short,  they  were  com¬ 
pletely  hand  in  glove. 

In  the  evening  we  reached  Santiago,  where  we 
now  are,  about  eighteen  leagues  from  Mexico,  a  large 
house,  in  a  wild-looking  country,  standing  in  solitary 
state,  with  hills  behind,  and  rocks  before  it,  and  sur¬ 
rounded  by  great  uncultivated  plains  and  pasture- 
fields.  Everything  is  en  grand  in  this  domain.  There 
is  a  handsome  chapel  and  sacristy ;  a  plaza  de  toros  ; 
hundreds  of  horses  and  mules  ;  and  between  depend- 
ientes  and  hangers-on,  we  sat  down,  thirty  or  forty 
people,  to  dinner. 

1th. — The  very  day  of  our  arrival,  Bernardo  the 
Matador,  with  his  men,  arrived  from  Mexico,  bring¬ 
ing  their  superb  dresses  with  them,  for  the  purpose 
of  giving  us  a  country  bull  fight.  As  an  hacienda 
of  this  kind  is  an  immense  empty  house,  without  fur¬ 
niture  or  books,  all  the  amusement  is  to  be  found 


MEXICAN  DANCES. 


241 


either  out  of  doors,  or  in  large  parties  in  the  house  ; 
and  the  unostentatious  hospitality  which  exists  in  this 
and  some  other  of  the  old  families,  is  a  pleasing  rem¬ 
nant  of  Spanish  manners  and  habits,  now  falling  into 
disuse,  and  succeeded  by  more  pretension  to  refine¬ 
ment,  and  less  of  either  real  wealth  or  sociability. 

In  the  evening  here,  all  assemble  in  a  large  hall ; 

the  Senora  de  -  playing  the  piano  ;  while  the 

whole  party,  agents,  dependientes,  major-domo,  coach¬ 
men,  matadors,  picadors  and  women-servants,  assem¬ 
ble,  and  perform  the  dances  of  the  country  ;  jarabes, 
aforrados,  enanos,  palomos,  zapateros,  &c.,  &c.  It 
must  not  be  supposed,  that  in  this  apparent  mingling 
of  ranks  between  masters  and  servants,  there  is  the 
slightest  want  of  respect  on  the  part  of  the  latter ;  on 
the  contrary,  they  seem  to  exert  themselves,  as  in 
duty  bound,  for  the  amusement  of  their  master  and 
his  guests.  There  is  nothing  republican  in  it ;  no 
feeling  of  equality  ;  as  far  as  I  have  seen,  that  feeling 
does  not  exist  here,  except  between  people  of  the 
same  rank.  It  is  more  like  some  remains  of  the  feu¬ 
dal  system,  where  the  retainers  sat  at  the  same  table 
with  their  chief,  but  below  the  salt.  The  dances  are 
monotonous,  with  small  steps  and  a  great  deal  of 
shuffling,  but  the  music  is  rather  pretty,  and  some 
of  the  dancers  were  very  graceful  and  agile  ;  and  if 
it  were  not  invidious  to  make  distinctions,  we  might 
particularize  Bernardo  the  Matador,  the  head  coach¬ 
man,  and  a  handsome  peasant  girl,  with  a  short  scarlet 
and  yellow  petticoat,  and  a  foot  and  ankle  a  la  Vestris. 
They  were  all  very  quiet,  but  seemed  in  a  state  of 
21 


VOL.  I. 


242 


ORIGINAL  SONGS. 


intense  enjoyment ;  and  some  of  the  men  accom¬ 
panied  the  dancers  on  the  guitar. 

First  the  player  strikes  up  in  quick  time,  and  the 
dancer  performs  a  quick  movement ;  then  the  musi¬ 
cian  accompanies  the  music  with  his  voice,  and  the 
dancer  goes  through  some  slow  steps.  Such  is  the 
case  in  the  Aforrado  or  Lining,  a  curious  nom  de 
tendresse,  expressive,  I  suppose,  of  something  soft  and 
well  wadded.  The  words  are  as  follows : 


1. 

Aforrado  de  mi  vida  ! 

Como  estas,  como  te  va  ? 
Como  has  pasado  la  noche, 
No  has  tenido  novedad  ? 


2. 


Aforrado  de  mi  vida ! 

Yo  te  qnisiera  cantar, 
Pero  mis  ojos  son  tiernos, 
Y  empazaran  d  llorar. 


3. 

De  Guadalajara  vengo, 
Lideando  con  un  soldado, 
Solo  por  venir  a  ver 
A  mi  jarabe  aforrado. 


4. 

Y  vente  con  migo 
Y  yo  te  dar6 
Zapatos  de  raso 
Color  de  caf6. 


TRANSLATION. 


243 


Of  these  poetical  sublimities,  a  translation  at  once 
literal  and  metrical,  would  we  think,  damp  the  spirit 
of  a  Coleridge. 

1. 

Lining  of  my  life  ! 

How  are  you  ?  how  do  you  do  ? 

How  have  you  passed  the  night  ? 

Have  you  met  with  nothing  new  ? 

2. 

Lining  of  my  life  ! 

To  you  I  should  like  to  sing  ; 

But  that  my  eyes  are  weak, 

And  tears  might  begin  to  spring. 

3. 

From  Guadalajara  lighting, 

With  a  soldier  I  came  on, 

My  well-lined  sweet-syrup 
I  came  to  see  you  alone. 

4. 

And  come  then  with  me, 

And  I  will  give  thee 
Such  fine  shoes  of  satin, 

The  color  of  tea. 


It  is  coffee,  but  you  will  excuse  the  poetical  license. 
The  music  married  to  this  “  immortal  verse,”  I  have 
learned  by  ear,  and  shall  send  you.  In  the  “  enanos  ” 
(the  dwarfs)  the  dancer  makes  himself  little,  every 
time  the  chorus  is  sung. 


l. 

All  !  que  bonitos 
Son  los  enanos 
Los  chiquititos 
Y  Mejicanos. 


244 


THE  “  ENANOS.” 

2. 

Sale  la  linda, 

Sale  la  fea, 

Sale  el  enano 
Con  su  zalea. 

3. 

Los  enanitos 
Se  enojaron 
Porque  A  las  enanas 
Les  pellizearon. 

There  are  many  more  verses,  but  I  think  you  will 
find  these  quite  satisfactory.  “  Ah  !  how  pretty  are 
the  dwarfs,  the  little  ones,  the  Mexicans  !  Out  comes 
the  pretty  one,  out  comes  the  ugly  one,  out  comes 
the  dwarf,  with  his  jacket  of  skin.  The  little  he- 
dwarfs  were  angry,  because  some  one  pinched  the 
she-dwarfs.”  There  is  another  called  the  Toro,  of 
which  the  words  are  not  very  interesting ;  and  the 
Zapatero,  or  shoemaker  was  very  well  danced  by  a 
gentleman  who  accompanied  himself,  at  the  same 
time,  on  the  guitar. 

Yesterday  morning,  we  set  off  in  a  burning  sun, 
over  a  perfect  Egyptian  desert,  to  visit  the  famous 
arches  of  Cempoala,  a  magnificent  work,  which  we 
were  told  had  greatly  excited  the  admiration  of  Mr. 
Poinsett  when  in  this  country.  This  aqueduct,  the 
object  of  whose  construction  was  to  supply  these 
arid  plains  with  water,  was  the  work  of  a  Spanish 
Franciscan  friar,  and  has  never  been  entirely  con¬ 
cluded.  We  travelled  about  six  leagues,  and  sate 
there  for  hours,  looking  up  at  the  great  stone  arches, 
which  seem  like  a  work  of  giants. 


COUNTRY  BULL-FIGHTS. 


245 


In  the  afternoon,  we  all  rode  to  the  Plaza  de 
Toros.  The  evening  was  cool,  our  horses  good,  the 
road  pretty  and  shady,  and  the  plaza  itself  a  most 
picturesque  enclosure,  surrounded  by  lofty  trees. 
Chairs  were  placed  for  us  on  a  raised  platform  ;  and 
the  bright  green  of  the  trees,  the  flashing  dresses  of 
the  toreadors,  the  roaring  of  the  fierce  bulls,  the 
spirited  horses,  the  music  and  the  cries ;  the  Indians 
shouting  from  the  trees  up  which  they  had  climbed  ; 
all  formed  a  scene  of  savage  grandeur,  which  for  a 
short  time  at  least  is  interesting.  Bernardo  was 
dressed  in  blue  satin  and  gold ;  the  picadors  in 
black  and  silver  ;  the  others  in  maroon-colored  satin 
and  gold.  All  those  on  foot  wear  knee-breeches  and 
white  silk  stockings,  a  little  black  cap  with  rib¬ 
bons,  and  a  plait  of  hair  streaming  down  behind. 
The  horses  were  generally  good,  and  as  each  new 
adversary  appeared,  seemed  to  participate  in  the  en¬ 
thusiasm  of  their  riders.  One  bull  after  another  was 
driven  in  roaring,  and  as  here  they  are  generally 
fierce,  and  their  horns  not  blunted  as  in  Mexico,  it  is 
a  much  more  dangerous  affair.  The  bulls  were  not 
killed,  but  were  sufficiently  tormented.  One  stuck 
full  of  arrows  and  fireworks,  all  adorned  with  ribbons 
and  colored  paper,  made  a  sudden  spring  over  an 
immensely  high  wall,  and  dashed  into  the  woods. 
I  thought  afterwards  of  this  unfortunate  animal, 
how  it  must  have  been  wandering  alone  all  night, 
bellowing  with  pain,  the  concealed  arrows  piercing 
its  flesh,  and  looking  like  gay  ornaments ; 

“  So,  when  the  watchful  shepherd,  from  the  blind, 

Wounds  with  a  random  shaft  the  careless  hind, 

21* 


246 


THE  LASO. 


Distracted  with  her  pain  she  flies  the  woods, 
Bounds  o’er  the  lawn,  and  seeks  the  silent  floods  — 
With  fruitless  care  ;  for  still  the  fatal  dart 
Sticks  in  her  side,  and  rankles  in  her  heart.” 


If  the  arrows  had  stuck  too  deep,  and  that  the  bull 
could  not  rub  them  off  against  the  trees,  he  must  have 
bled  to  death.  Had  he  remained,  his  fate  would 
have  been  better,  for  when  the  animal  is  entirely 
exhausted  they  throw  him  down  with  a  laso,  and 
pulling  out  the  arrows,  put  ointment  on  the  wounds. 

The  skill  of  the  men  is  surprising ;  but  the  most 
curious  part  of  the  exhibition  was  when  a  coachman 

of - s,  a  strong,  handsome  Mexican,  mounted  on 

the  back  of  a  fierce  bull,  which  plunged  and  flung 
himself  about  as  if  possessed  by  a  legion  of  demons, 
and  forced  the  animal  to  gallop  round  and  round  the 
arena.  The  bull  is  first  caught  by  the  laso,  and 
thrown  on  his  side,  struggling  furiously.  The  man 
mounts  while  he  is  still  on  the  ground.  At  the  same 
moment  the  laso  is  withdrawn,  and  the  bull  starts 
up,  maddened  by  feeling  the  weight  of  his  unusual 
burden.  The  rider  must  dismount  in  the  same  way, 
the  bull  being  first  thrown  down,  otherwise  he  would 
be  gored  in  a  moment.  It  is  terribly  dangerous,  for 
if  the  man  were  to  lose  his  seat,  his  death  is  nearly 
certain  ;  but  these  Mexicans  are  superb  riders.  A 
monk,  who  is  attached  to  the  establishment,  seems 
an  ardent  admirer  of  these  sports,  and  his  presence  is 
useful,  in  case  of  a  dangerous  accident  occurring, 
which  is  not  unfrequent. 

The  amusement  was  suddenly  interrupted  by  sud¬ 
den  darkness,  and  a  tremendous  storm  of  rain  and 


PLAINS  OF  APAN. 


247 


thunder,  in  the  midst  of  which  we  mounted  our 
horses,  and  galloped  home. 

Tulansingo  - 8th. 

Another  bull-fight  last  evening  !  It  is  like  pulque  ; 
one  makes  wry  faces  at  it  at  first,  and  then  begins  to 
like  it.  One  thing  we  soon  discovered  ;  which  was 
that  the  bulls,  if  so  inclined,  could  leap  upon  our 
platform,  as  they  occasionally  sprang  over  a  wall 
twice  as  high.  There  was  a  part  of  the  spectacle 
rather  too  horrible.  The  horse  of  one  of  the  pica¬ 
dors  was  gored,  his  side  tom  up  by  the  bull’s  horns, 
and  in  this  state,  streaming  with  blood,  he  was  forced 
to  gallop  round  the  circle . 

We  spent  one  day  in  visiting  Omatusco,  an  ha¬ 
cienda  belonging  to  the  Senora  T - a,  situated  in 

the  plains  of  Apan,  and  famous  for  the  superior  excel¬ 
lence  of  its  pulque.  The  organos,  the  nopal,  and  great 
fields  of  maguey,  constitute  the  chief  vegetation  for 
many  miles  round.  The  hacienda  itself,  a  fine  large 
building,  stands  lonely  and  bleak  in  the  midst  of 
magueys.  A  fine  chapel,  left  unfinished  since  her 
husband’s  death,  attracted  our  attention,  by  its  sim¬ 
ple  architecture  and  unpretending  elegance.  It  is 
nearly  impossible  to  conceive  anything  more  lonely 
than  a  residence  here  must  be ;  or  in  fact  in  any  of 
the  haciendas  situated  on  these  great  plains  of 
Otumba  and  Apan. 

This  morning  we  set  off  for  Tulansingo,  in  four 
carriages  and  six,  containing  the  whole  family,  our¬ 
selves,  maids,  and  children,  padre  and  nursery  gov¬ 
erness  ;  relays  being  placed  all  along  the  road,  which 
we  traversed  at  full  gallop.  But  in  crossing  some 


248 


TULANSINGO. 


great  pasture-fields,  the  drivers  of  two  of  the  car¬ 
riages  began  to  race  ;  one  of  the  horses  fell  and  threw 
the  postilion  ;  the  carriage  itself  was  overturned,  and 
though  none  of  the  inmates  were  injured,  the  poor 
mozo  was  terribly  wounded  in  his  head  and  legs.  No 
assistance  being  near,  he  changed  places  with  one  of 
the  men  on  horseback,  and  was  brought  on  slowly. 

About  three  in  the  afternoon,  we  arrived  at  Tulan- 
singo,  rather  an  important  little  city  in  its  way,  and 
which  has  been  the  theatre  of  many  revolutionary 
events ;  with  various  streets  and  shops,  a  handsome 
church  ;  alcaldes,  a  prefect,  &c.  There  appear  to  be 
some  few  good  houses  and  decent  families,  and  clean, 
small  shops,  and  there  are  pretty,  shady  walks  in  the 
environs  ;  and  though  there  are  also  plenty  of  miser¬ 
able  dwellings  and  dirty  people,  it  is  altogether  rather 

a  civilized  place.  The  house  of - ,  which  stands 

within  a  court-yard,  and  is  the  house  par  excellence 
is  very  handsome,  with  little  furniture,  but  with  some 
remnants  of  luxury.  The  dining-hall  is  a  noble  room, 
with  beautiful  Chinese  paper,  opening  into  a  garden, 
which  is  the  boast  of  the  Republic,  and  is  indeed 
singularly  pretty,  and  kept  in  beautiful  order,  with 
gravel  walks  and  fine  trees,  clear  tanks  and  sparkling 
fountains,  and  an  extraordinary  profusion  of  the  most 
beautiful  flowers,  roses  especially.  There  is  some¬ 
thing  extremely  oriental  in  its  appearance,  and  the 
fountains  are  ornamented  with  China  vases  and  Chi¬ 
nese  figures  of  great  value.  Walking  along  under 
arches  formed  by  rose  bushes,  a  small  column  of 
water  spouted  forth  from  each  bush,  sprinkling  us  all 
over  with  its  shower.  But  the  prettiest  thing  in  the 


PUCHERO. 


249 


garden  is  a  great  tank  of  clear  water,  inclosed  on 
three  sides  by  a  Chinese  building,  round  which  runs 
a  piazza  with  stone  pillars,  shaded  by  a  drapery  of 
white  curtains.  Comfortable,  well-cushioned  sofas 
are  ranged  along  the  piazza,  which  opens  into  a  large 
room,  where  one  may  dress  after  bathing.  It  is  the 
prettiest  and  coolest  retreat  possible,  and  entirely 
surrounded  by  trees  and  roses.  Here  one  may  lie  at 
noon-day,  with  the  sun  and  the  world  completely 
shut  out.  They  call  this  an  English  garden,  than 
which  it  rather  resembles  the  summer  retreat  of  a 
sultan. 

When  we  arrived,  we  found  dinner  laid  for  forty 
persons,  and  the  table  ornamented,  by  the  taste  of 
the  gardener,  with  pyramids  of  beautiful  flowers. 

I  have  now  formed  acquaintance  with  many  Mexi¬ 
can  dishes  ;  mole,  (meat  stewed  in  red  chile),  boiled 
nopal,  fried  bananas,  green  chile,  &c.  Then  we  in¬ 
variably  have  frijoles,  (brown  beans  stewed,)  hot  tor¬ 
tillas  —  and  this  being  in  the  country,  pulque  is  the 
universal  beverage.  In  Mexico,  tortillas  and  pulque 
are  considered  unfashionable,  though  both  are  still  to 
be  met  with  occasionally,  in  some  of  the  best  old 
houses.  They  have  here  a  most  delicious  species  of 
cream  cheese,  made  by  the  Indians,  and  ate  with 
virgin  honey.  I  believe  there  is  an  intermixture  of 
goats’  milk  in  it ;  but  the  Indian  families  who  make 
it,  and  who  have  been  offered  large  sums  for  the  re¬ 
ceipt,  find  it  more  profitable  to  keep  their  secret. 

Every  dinner  has  puchero  immediately  following 
the  soup  ;  consisting  of  boiled  mutton,  beef,  bacon, 
fowls,  garbanzos  (a  white  bean),  small  gourds,  pota- 


350 


FRUITS. 


toes,  boiled  pears,  greens,  and  any  other  vegetables ; 
a  piece  of  each  put  on  your  plate  at  the  same  time, 
and  accompanied  by  a  sauce  of  herbs  or  tomatoes. 

As  for  fruits,  we  have  mameys,  chirimoyas,  gra- 
naditas,  white  and  black  zapotes  ;  the  black,  sweet, 
with  a  green  skin  and  a  black  pulp,  and  with  black 
stones  in  it ;  the  white  resembling  it  in  outward  ap¬ 
pearance  and  form,  but  with  a  white  pulp,  and  the 
kernel,  which  is  said  to  be  poisonous,  is  very  large, 
round  and  white.  It  belongs  to  a  larger  and  more 
leafy  tree  than  the  black  zapote,  and  grows  in  cold 
or  temperate  climates ;  whereas  the  other  is  a  native 
of  tierra  caliente.  Then  there  is  the  chicozapote,  of 
the  same  family,  with  a  whitish  skin  and  a  white  or 
rose-tinged  pulp ;  this  also  belongs  to  the  warm  re¬ 
gions.  The  capulin,  or  Mexican  cherry  ;  the  mango, 
of  which  the  best  come  from  Orizaba  and  Cordova ; 
the  cayote,  &c.  Of  these  I  prefer  the  chirimoya, 
zapote  bianco,  granadita  and  mango ;  but  this  is  a 
matter  of  taste. 

12 th.  —  We  have  spent  some  days  here  very  plea¬ 
santly  ;  riding  amongst  the  hills  in  the  neighborhood, 
exploring  caves,  viewing  waterfalls,  and  climbing  on 
foot  or  on  horseback,  wherever  foot  or  horse  could 
penetrate.  No  habits  to  be  worn  in  these  parts,  as 
I  found  from  experience,  after  being  caught  upon  a 
gigantic  maguey,  and  my  gown  torn  in  two.  It  is 
certainly  always  the  wisest  plan  to  adopt  the  customs 
of  the  country  one  lives  in.  A  dress  either  of  stuff, 
such  as  merino,  or  of  muslin,  as  short  as  it  is  usually 
worn,  a  reboso  tied  over  one  shoulder,  and  a  large 
straw  hat,  is  about  the  most  convenient  costume  that 


GAMES. 


251 


can  be  adopted.  The  horses  are  small,  but  strong, 
spirited  and  well  made ;  generally  unshod,  which 
they  say  makes  the  motion  more  agreeable  ;  and 
almost  all,  at  least  all  ladies’  horses,  are  taught  the 
paso,  which  I  find  tiresome  for  a  continuance,  though 
a  good  paso-horse  will  keep  up  with  others  that  gal¬ 
lop,  and  for  a  longer  time. 

The  great  amusement  here  in  the  evening  is  play¬ 
ing  at  juegos  de  prendas,  games  with  forfeits,  which  I 
recommend  to  all  who  wish  to  make  a  rapid  improve¬ 
ment  in  the  Spanish  tongue.  Last  night,  being  de¬ 
sired  to  name  a  forfeit  for  the  padre,  I  condemned 
him  to  dance  the  jarabe,  of  which  he  performed  a 
few  steps  in  his  long  gown  and  girdle,  with  equal 
awkwardness  and  good-nature.  We  met  to-day  the 
prettiest  little  ranchera,  a  farmer’s  wife  or  daughter, 
riding  in  front  of  a  mozo  on  the  same  horse,  their 
usual  mode,  dressed  in  a  short  embroidered  muslin 
petticoat,  white  satin  shoes,  a  pearl  necklace  and  ear¬ 
rings,  a  reboso,  and  a  large  round  straw  hat.  The 
ladies  sit  their  horse  on  a  contrary  side  to  our  fash¬ 
ion.  They  have  generally  adopted  English  saddles, 
but  the  farmers’  wives  frequently  sit  in  a  sort  of  chair, 
which  they  find  much  more  commodious. 

Some  country  ladies,  who  attended  mass  in  the 
chapel  this  morning,  were  dressed  in  very  short  clear 
white  muslin  gowns,  very  much  starched,  and  so  dis¬ 
posed  as  to  show  two  under  petticoats,  also  stiffly 
starched,  and  trimmed  with  lace  ;  their  shoes  colored 
satin.  Considered  as  a  costume  of  their  own,  I  be¬ 
gin  to  think  it  rather  pretty.  The  oldest  women 
here  or  in  Mexico,  never  wear  caps ;  nothing  but 


252 


YOUNG  GIRLS. 


their  own  gray  hair,  sometimes  cut  short,  sometimes 
turned  up  with  a  comb,  and  not  unusually  tied  be¬ 
hind  in  a  pig-tail.  There  is  no  attempt  to  conceal 
the  ravages  of  time.  .  .  . 

It  appears  to  me,  that  amongst  the  young  girls 
here  there  is  not  that  desire  to  enter  upon  the  cares 
of  matrimony,  which  is  to  be  observed  in  many  other 
countries.  The  opprobrious  epithet  of  old  maid  is 
unknown.  A  girl  is  not  the  less  admired  because 
she  has  been  ten  or  a  dozen  years  in  society ;  the 
most  severe  remark  made  on  her  is  that  she  is  hard 
to  please.  No  one  calls  her  passee,  or  looks  out  for 
a  newer  face  to  admire.  I  have  seen  no  courting  of 
the  young  men  either  in  mothers  or  daughters ;  no 
match-making  mammas,  or  daughters  looking  out  for 
their  own  interests.  In  fact,  young  people  have  so 
few  opportunities  of  being  together,  that  Mexican 
marriages  must  be  made  in  Heaven,  for  I  see  no  op¬ 
portunity  of  bringing  them  about  upon  earth.  The 
young  men  when  they  do  meet  with  young  ladies  in 
society,  appear  devoted  to  and  very  much  afraid  of 
them.  I  know  but  one  lady  in  Mexico  who  has  the 
reputation  of  having  manoeuvred  all  her  daughters 
into  great  marriages ;  but  she  is  so  clever,  and  her 
daughters  were  such  beauties,  that  it  can  have  cost 
her  no  trouble.  As  for  flirtation,  the  name  is  un¬ 
known,  and  the  thing. 

I  have  been  taking  lessons  in  the  Indian  dances 

from  Doha  R - a ;  they  are  not  ungraceful,  but 

lazy  and  monotonous.  .  .  . 

On  every  door  in  this  house,  there  is  a  printed 
paper  to  the  following  effect ;  — 


VERSES. 


253 


“  Quien  a  esta  casa  da  luz  ?  Jesus. 

“  Quien  la  llena  de  alegria  ?  Maria. 

“  Y  quien  la  abraza  en  la  fe  ?  Jose. 

“  Luego  bien  claro  se  ve 
“  Q,ue  siempre  habra  contricion, 

“  Teniendo  en  la  corazon, 

“  A  Jesus,  Maria  y  Jose. 

“  Who  gives  light  to  this  house  ?  Jesus. 

“  Who  fdls  it  with  joy  ?  Mary. 

“  Who  kindles  faith  in  it  ?  Joseph. 

“  Then  we  see  very  clearly 
“  That  there  will  always  be  contrition, 

“  Keeping  in  our  hearts, 

“  Jesus,  Mary  and  Joseph. 

»  These  are  written  in  verse,  and  below :  “  The 
most  Illustrious  Bishop  of  Monte-Rey,  Don  Fray 
Jose  de  Jesus  Maria  Balaunzaran,  hereby  ordains  and 
grants,  along  with  the  Bishops  of  Puebla,  Durango, 
Valledolid  and  Guadalajara,  two  hundred  days  of  In¬ 
dulgence  to  all  those  who  devoutly  repeat  the  above 
ejaculation,  and  invoke  the  sweet  names  of  Jesus, 
Mary  and  Joseph.”  .  .  .  The  people  here  have 
certainly  a  poetical  vein  in  their  composition.  Every¬ 
thing  is  put  into  verse  —  sometimes  doggerel,  like  the 
above,  (in  which  luz  rhyming  with  Jesus  shows  that 
the  z  is  pronounced  here  like  an  s')  occasionally  a 
little  better,  but  always  in  rhyme. 

We  went  this  evening  to  visit  the  Countess  del 

- ,  who  has  a  house  in  the  village.  Found  her  in 

bed,  feverish,  and  making  use  of  simple  remedies, 
22 


VOL.  I. 


254 


PHAKMACY. 


such  as  herbs,  the  knowledge  and  use  of  which  have 
descended  from  the  ancient  Indians  to  the  present 
lords  of  the  soil.  The  Spanish  historians  who  have 
written  upon  the  conquest  of  Mexico,  all  mention 
the  knowledge  which  the  Mexican  physicians  had  of 
herbs.  It  was  supposed  by  these  last,  that  for  every 
infirmity  there  was  a  remedy  in  the  herbs  of  the 
field  ;  and  to  apply  them  according  to  the  nature  of 
the  malady,  was  the  chief  science  of  these  primitive 
professors  of  medicine.  Much  which  is  now  used  in 
European  pharmacy  is  due  to  the  research  of  Mexi¬ 
can  doctors  ;  such  as  sarsaparilla,  jalep,  friar’s  rhu¬ 
barb,  mechoacan,  &c.  ;  also  various  emetics,  anti¬ 
dotes  to  poison,  remedies  against  fever,  and  an 
infinite  number  of  plants,  minerals,  gums  and  simple 
medicines.  As  for  their  infusions,  decoctions,  oint¬ 
ments,  plasters,  oils,  &c.,  Cortes  himself  mentions 
the  wonderful  number  of  these  which  he  saw  in  the 
Mexican  market  for  sale.  From  certain  trees  they 
distilled  balsams  ;  and  drew  a  balsamic  liquid  both 
from  a  decoction  of  the  branches,  and  from  the  bark 
steeped  in  water.  Bleeding  and  bathing  were  their 
other  favorite  remedies.  The  country  people  breath¬ 
ed  a  vein  with  a  maguey-point,  and  when  they  could 
not  find  leeches,  substituted  the  prickles  of  the  Amer¬ 
ican  hedgehog. 

Besides  bathing  in  the  rivers,  lakes,  tanks  and  foun¬ 
tains,  they  used  a  bath  which  is  still  to  be  seen  in 
many  Indian  villages,  and  which  they  call  the  temez- 
calli.  It  is  made  of  unbaked  bricks ;  its  form  is  that 
of  a  baker’s  oven,  about  eight  feet  wide  and  six  high  ; 
the  pavement  rather  convex,  and  lower  than  the  sur- 


INDIAN  BATH. 


255 


face  of  the  soil.  A  person  can  enter  this  bath  only 
on  his  knees.  Opposite  the  entry  is  a  stone  or  brick 
stove,  its  opening  towards  the  exterior  of  the  bath, 
with  a  hole  to  let  out  the  smoke.  Before  the  bath 
is  prepared,  the  floor  inside  is  covered  with  a  mat,  on 
which  is  placed  a  jar  of  water,  some  herbs  and  leaves 
of  corn.  The  stove  is  then  heated,  until  the  stones 
which  unite  it  with  the  bath,  become  red  hot. 
When  the  bather  enters,  the  entry  is  closed,  and  the 
only  opening  left,  is  a  hole  at  the  top  of  the  vault, 
which,  when  the  smoke  of  the  oven  has  passed 
through,  is  also  shut.  They  then  pour  water  upon 
the  red  hot  stones,  from  which  a  thick  vapor  arises, 
which  fills  the  temezcalli.  The  bather  then  throws 
himself  on  the  mat,  and  drawing  down  the  steam 
with  the  herbs  and  maize,  wets  them  in  the  tepid 
water  of  the  jar,  and  if  he  has  any  pain,  applies  them 
to  the  part  affected.  This  having  produced  perspi¬ 
ration,  the  door  is  opened  and  the  well-baked  patient 
comes  out  and  dresses.  For  fevers,  for  bad  colds, 
for  the  bite  of  a  poisonous  animal,  this  is  said  to  be 
a  certain  cure ;  also  for  acute  rheumatism. 

For  the  cure  of  wounds,  the  Spaniards  found  the 
Mexican  remedies  most  efficacious.  Cortes  himself 
was  cured  by  one  of  their  doctors  of  a  severe  wound 
in  the  head,  received  at  Otumba,  through  which  we 
lately  passed.  For  fractures,  for  humors,  for  every¬ 
thing  they  had  their  remedy  ;  sometimes  pulverizing 
the  seeds  of  plants,  and  attributing  much  of  their 
efficacy  to  the  superstitious  ceremonies  and  prayers 
which  they  used  while  applying  them,  especially 
those  which  they  offered  up  to  Tzapotlatenan,  the 
goddess  of  medicine. 


256 


BURIED  TREASURE. 


A  great  deal  of  this  knowledge  is  still  preserved 
amongst  their  descendants,  and  considered  effica¬ 
cious.  For  every  illness  there  is  an  herb,  for  every 
accident  a  remedy.  Baths  are  in  constant  use,  al¬ 
though  these  temezcallis  are  confined  to  the  Indians. 
In  every  family  there  is  some  knowledge  of  simple 
medicine,  very  necessary  in  haciendas  especially, 
where  no  physician  can  possibly  be  procured . 

There  is  a  hill  upon - ’s  property,  said  to  con¬ 

tain  much  buried  treasure.  There  are  many  tradi¬ 
tions  here  of  this  concealed  Indian  wealth,  but  very 
little  gold  has  been  actually  recovered  from  these 
mountain-tombs.  Buried  gold  has  occasionally  come 
to  light ;  not  by  researches  in  the  mountains,  for  few 
are  rash  enough  to  throw  away  their  money  in  search 
of  what  would  probably  prove  an  imaginary  treasure  ; 
but  by  accident  —  in  the  ruins  of  old  houses,  where 
their  proprietors  had  deposited  them  for  safety  in 
some  period  of  revolution  ;  perhaps  no  later  than  at 
the  time  of  the  Spanish  expulsion. 

Some  years  ago,  an  old  and  very  poor  woman, 
rented  a  house  in  the  environs  of  Mexico,  as  old  and 
wretched  as  herself,  for  four  reals  a  week.  It  had 
an  old  broken  up  stone  patio,  (inner  court-yard) 
which  she  used  occasionally  to  sweep  with  a  little 
old  broom.  One  day  she  observed  two  or  three 
stones  in  this  patio,  larger  and  more  carefully  put 
together  than  the  others,  and  the  little  old  woman 
being  a  daughter  of  Eve  by  some  collateral  branch, 
poked  down  and  worked  at  the  stones,  until  she  was 
able  to  raise  them  up  ;  when  lo  !  and  behold,  she 
discovered  a  can  full  of  treasure ;  no  less  than  five 


ANECDOTE. 


257 


thousand  dollars  in  gold !  Her  delight  and  her 
fright  were  unbounded ;  and  being  a  prudent  old 
lady,  she  determined  in  the  first  place  to  leave  the 
house,  and  next,  to  bring  in  her  treasure  poquito  a 
poquito,  (little  by  little,)  to  a  room  in  Mexico,  keep¬ 
ing  the  old  house  as  a  sort  of  bank.  She  did  so  ; 
took  a  nice  room,  and  instead  of  sleeping  on  a  petate, 
(mat)  as  she  had  hitherto  done,  bought  herself  a 
little  bedstead,  and  even  a  mattress  ;  treated  herself 
not  only  to  chocolate,  but  to  a  few  bottles  of  good 
wine  !  Such  extraordinary  luxury  could  not  fail  to 
excite  suspicion.  She  was  questioned  by  her  neigh¬ 
bors,  and  at  length  entrusted  her  secret  to  their 
keeping.  History  says,  that  notwithstanding  this, 
she  was  not  robbed,  and  was  allowed  to  enjoy  her 
good  fortune  in  peace.  It  is  difficult  to  credit  such 
a  miracle  in  this  land  of  picking  and  stealing,  but 
my  authority  is  beyond  impeachment. 

.  .  .  Whilst  I  write  on  these  irrelevant  matters,  I 
am  warned  that  the  coaches  are  at  the  door,  and 
that  we  are  about  setting  off  for  Tepenacasco,  an¬ 
other  hacienda  of  Senor - ’s,  a  few  leagues  from 

this. 


22' 


LETTER  THE  SEVENTEENTH. 


Arrival  at  Tepenacasco — Lake  with  wild  duck  —  Ruined  ha¬ 
cienda —  Sunset  on  the  plains  —  Troop  of  asses  —  Ride  by 
moonlight  —  Leave  Tepenacasco  —  San  Miguel  —  Description 

—  Thunder  storm — Guasco —  Journey  to  Real  del  Monte  — 
English  road  —  Scenery  —  Village  of  Real  —  Count  de  Regia 

—  Director’s  house — English  breakfast  —  Visit  to  the  Mines 

—  Mining  speculations  —  Grand  scenery  —  Visit  to  Regia  — 
The  Cascade  —  The  Storm  —  Loneliness  —  A  journey  in 
storm  and  darkness  —  Return  to  Tepenacasco  —  Journey  to 
Sopayuca  —  Narrow  escape  —  F amous  Bull  —  Return  to  Mex¬ 
ico. 


Tepenacasco. 

This  is  a  fine  wild  scene.  The  house  stands  entirely 
alone ;  not  a  tree  near  it.  Great  mountains  rise  be¬ 
hind  it,  and  in  every  other  direction,  as  far  as  the 
eye  can  reach,  are  vast  plains,  over  which  the  wind 
comes  whistling  fresh  and  free,  with  nothing  to  im¬ 
pede  its  triumphant  progress.  In  front  of  the  house 
is  a  clear  sheet  of  water,  a  great  deep  square  basin 
for  collecting  the  rain.  These  jagueys,  as  they  are 
called,  are  very  common  in  Mexico,  where  there  are 
few  rivers,  and  where  the  use  of  machines  for  raising 
water,  is  by  no  means  general  as  yet.  There  is  no 
garden  here,  but  there  are  a  few  shrubs  and  flowers 
in  the  inner  court-yard.  The  house  inside  is  hand¬ 
some,  with  a  chapel,  and  a  patio,  which  is  occasion- 


TEPENACASCO. 


259 


ally  used  as  a  plaza  de  toros.  The  rooms  are  well 
fitted  up,  and  the  bedroom  walls  are  covered  with  a 
pretty  French  paper,  representing  scenes  of  Swiss 
rural  life.  There  are  great  outhouses,  stables  for  the 
mules  and  horses,  and  stone  barns  for  the  wheat  and 
barley,  which,  together  with  pulque,  form  the  produce 
of  this  hacienda. 

We  took  a  long  ride  this  morning  to  visit  a  fine 
lake,  where  there  are  plenty  of  wild  duck  and  turtle. 
The  gentlemen  took  their  guns,  and  had  tolerable 
sport.  The  lake  is  very  deep,  so  that  boats  have 
sailed  on  it,  and  several  miles  in  circumference,  with 
a  rivulet  flowing  from  it.  Yet  with  all  this  water, 
the  surrounding  land,  not  more  than  twenty  feet 
higher,  is  dry  and  sterile,  and  the  lake  is  turned  to  no 
account ;  either  from  want  of  means  or  of  hydraulic 
knowledge.  However,  C - n  having  made  some  ob¬ 

servation  on  this  subject,  the  proprietor  of  the  lake  and 
of  a  ruined  house  standing  near,  which  is  the  very  pic¬ 
ture  of  loneliness  and  desolation,  remarked  in  reply  ; 
that  from  this  estate  to  Mexico,  the  distance  is  thirty- 
six  leagues ;  that  a  load  of  wheat  costs  one  real  a 
league,  and  moreover  the  alcaba,  the  duty  which  has 
to  be  paid  at  the  gates  of  Mexico,  so  that  it  would 
bring  no  profit  if  sent  there  ;  while  in  the  surround¬ 
ing  district  there  is  not  sufficient  population  to  con¬ 
sume  the  produce  ;  so  that  these  unnecessary  and 
burthensome  taxes,  the  thinness  of  the  population 
and  the  want  of  proper  means  of  transport,  impede 
the  prosperity  of  the  people,  and  check  the  progress 
of  agriculture . 

I  had  a  beautiful  horse,  but  half  broke,  and  which 


260 


LAKE  WITH  WILD  DUCK. 


took  fright  and  ran  off  with  me.  I  got  great  credit 
for  keeping  my  seat  so  well,  which  I  must  confess 
was  more  through  good  fortune  than  skill.  The  day 
was  delightful,  the  air  exhilarating,  and  the  blue  sky 
perfectly  cloudless  as  we  galloped  over  the  plains ; 
but  at  length  the  wind  rose  so  high  that  we  dis¬ 
mounted,  and  got  into  the  carriage.  We  sat  by  the 
shores  of  the  lake,  and  walked  along  its  pebbly  mar¬ 
gin,  watching  the  wild  duck  as  they  skimmed  over 
its  glassy  surface  ;  and  returned  home  in  a  magnifi¬ 
cent  sunset  ;  the  glorious  god  himself  a  blood-red 
globe,  surrounded  by  blazing  clouds  of  gold  and 
crimson. 

In  the  evening,  a  troop  of  asses  were  driven  across 
the  plain,  and  led  round  to  the  back  of  the  house  ; 
and  we  were  all  called  out  in  haste,  and  each  de¬ 
sired  to  choose  one  of  the  long-eared  fraternity  for 
our  particular  use.  Some  had  saddles,  and  some  had 
none,  but  we  mounted  to  the  number  of  thirty  per¬ 
sons,  followed  by  a  cavalcade  of  little  ragged  boys 
armed  with  sticks  and  whips.  My  ass  was  an  obsti¬ 
nate  brute,  whom  I  had  mistakenly  chosen,  for  his 
sleek  coat  and  open  countenance,  but  by  dint  of 
being  lashed  up,  he  suddenly  set  off  at  full  gallop, 
and  distanced  all  the  others.  Such  screaming,  and 
laughing  and  confusion  !  and  so  much  difficulty  in 
keeping  the  party  together  !  It  was  nearly  dark 
when  we  set  off;  but  the  moon  rose,  her  silver  disk 
lighting  up  the  hills  and  the  plains  ;  the  wind  fell, 
and  the  night  was  calm  and  delightful.  We  rode 
about  six  miles,  to  a  pretty  little  chapel  with  a  cross, 
that  gleamed  amongst  the  trees  in  the  moonlight,  by 


SAN  MIGUEL. 


261 


the  side  of  a  running  stream.  Here  we  dismounted, 
and  sat  by  the  brink  of  the  little  sparkling  rivulet, 
while  the  deep  shadows  came  stealing  over  the 
mountains,  and  all  aroundwas  still,  and  cool  and  si¬ 
lent  ;  all  but  the  merry  laughter  of  our  noisy  caval¬ 
cade.  We  returned  about  eleven  o’clock,  few  acci¬ 
dents  having  occurred.  Doha  R - a  had  fallen 

once.  Doha  M -  had  crushed  her  foot  against 

her  neighbor’s  ass.  The  padre  was  shaken  to  a 
jelly,  and  a  learned  senator,  who  was  of  the  party, 
declared  he  would  never  recover  from  that  night’s 
jolting.  To-morrow  we  shall  set  off  for  Real  del 
Monte. 

\lth.  —  After  mass  in  the  chapel,  we  left  Tepena- 
casco  about  seven  o’clock  ;  and  travelled  (I  believe  by 
a  short  cut)  over  rocks  and  walls,  torrents  and  fields 
of  maguey,  all  in  a  heavy  carriage  with  six  horses. 
Arriving  in  sight  of  walls,  the  mozos  gallop  on  and 
tear  them  down.  Over  the  mountain-torrents  or 
barrancas,  they  dash  boldly,  encouraging  the  horses 
by  the  wildest  shrieks. 

We  stopped  at  San  Miguel,  a  country  house  be¬ 
longing  to  the  Count  de  Regia,  the  former  proprietor 
of  the  mines  which  we  were  about  to  visit ;  the  most 
picturesque  and  lovely  place  imaginable,  but  entirely 
abandoned  ;  the  house  comfortless  and  out  of  repair. 
We  wandered  through  paths  cut  in  the  beautiful 
woods,  and  by  the  side  of  a  rivulet  that  seems  to 
fertilize  everything  through  which  it  winds.  We 
climbed  the  hills,  and  made  our  way  through  the 
tangled  luxuriance  of  trees  and  flowers ;  and  in  the 
midst  of  hundreds  of  gaudy  blossoms,  I  neglected 


262 


STORM. 


them  all  upon  coming  to  a  grassy  slope  covered  with 
daisies  and  buttercups.  We  even  found  some  haw¬ 
thorn  bushes.  It  might  be  English  scenery,  were  it 
not  that  there  is  a  richness  in  the  vegetation  unknown 
in  England.  But  all  these  beautiful  solitudes  are 
abandoned  to  the  deer  that  wander  fearlessly  amongst 
the  woods,  and  the  birds  that  sing  in  their  branches. 
While  we  were  still  far  from  the  house,  a  thunder¬ 
storm  came  on.  When  it  rains  here,  the  windows 
of  heaven  seem  opened,  and  the  clouds  pour  down 
water  in  floods ;  the  lightning  also  appears  to  me 
peculiarly  vivid,  and  many  more  accidents  occur 
from  it  here  than  in  the  north.  We  were  drenched  in 
five  minutes,  and  in  this  plight  resumed  our  seats  in 
the  carriage,  and  set  oft'  for  Gunsco  (a  village  where 
we  were  to  pass  the  night)  in  the  midst  of  the  pelting 
storm.  In  an  hour  or  two  the  horses  were  wading 
up  to  their  knees  in  water,  and  we  arrived  at  the 
pretty  village  of  Guasco,  in  a  most  comfortless  con¬ 
dition.  There  are  no  inns  in  these  parts,  but  we 
were  hospitably  received  by  a  widow  lady,  a  friend 
of  - ’s. 

The  Sehora  de - ,  in  clear  muslin  and  lace,  with 

satin  shoes,  was  worse  off  than  I  in  mousseline  de 
laine  and  brodequins  ;  nevertheless,  I  mean  to  adopt 
the  fashion  of  the  country  tomorrow,  when  we  are 
to  rise  at  four,  to  go  on  to  Real  del  Monte ;  and  try 
the  effect  of  travelling  with  clear  gown,  satin  petti¬ 
coat  and  shoes  ditto ;  because,  “  when  one  is  in 
Rome,”  &,c.  The  storm  continues  with  such  una¬ 
bated  violence,  that  we  must  content  ourselves  with 
contemplating  the  watery  landscape  from  the  win¬ 
dows. 


ENGLISH  ROAD. 


263 


Tepenacasco. 

Rose  in  Guasco  at  four  o’clock,  dressed  by  can¬ 
dle  light,  took  chocolate,  and  set  off  for  Real  del 
Monte.  After  we  had  travelled  a  few  leagues,  tole¬ 
rably  cold,  we  rejoiced  when  the  sun  rose,  and  dis¬ 
pelling  the  mist,  threw  his  cheerful  light  over  moun¬ 
tain  and  wood.  The  trees  looked  green  and  re¬ 
freshed,  after  their  last  night’s  bath ;  the  very  rocks 
were  sparkling  with  silver.  The  morning  was  per¬ 
fectly  brilliant,  and  every  leaf  and  flower  was  glit¬ 
tering  with  the  rain-drops  not  yet  dried.  The  car¬ 
riage  ascended  slowly  the  road  cut  through  the 
mountains  by  the  English  company  ;  a  fine  and  use¬ 
ful  enterprise ;  the  first  broad  and  smooth  road  I 
have  seen  as  yet  in  the  Republic.  Until  it  was 
made,  hundreds  of  mules  daily  conveyed  the  ore 
from  the  mines,  over  a  dangerous  mountain  path  to 
the  hacienda  of  Regia,  a  distance  of  six  or  seven 
leagues.  We  overtook  wagons  conveying  timber  to 
the  mines  of  Real,  nine  thousand  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea. 

The  scenery  was  magnificent.  On  one  side,  moun¬ 
tains  covered  with  oak  and  pine,  and  carpeted  by  the 
brightest-colored  flowers ;  goats  climbing  up  the  per¬ 
pendicular  rocks,  and  looking  down  upon  us  from 
their  vantage-ground  ;  fresh  clear  rivulets,  flinging 
themselves  from  rock  to  rock,  and  here  and  there 
little  Indian  huts  perched  amongst  the  cliffs  ;  on  the 
other,  the  deep  valley  with  its  bending  forests  and 
gushing  river  ;  while  far  above,  we  caught  a  glimpse 
of  Real  itself,  with  its  sloping  roofs  and  large  church, 


264 


HEAL  DEL  MONTE. 


standing  in  the  very  midst  of  forests  and  mountains. 
We  began  to  see  people  with  fair  hair  and  blue  eyes ; 
and  one  individual,  with  a  shock  of  fiery  red  hair  and 
an  undeniable  Scotch  twang,  I  felt  the  greatest  incli¬ 
nation  to  claim  as  a  countryman.  The  Indians  here 
looked  cleaner  than  those  in  or  near  Mexico,  and 
were  not  more  than  half  naked.  The  whole  country 
here,  as  well  as  the  mines,  formerly  belonged  to  the 
Count  de  Regia,  who  was  so  wealthy,  that  when  his 
son,  the  present  Count,  was  christened,  the  whole 
party  walked  from  his  house  to  the  church,  upon 
ingots  of  silver.  The  Countess  having  quarrelled 
with  the  Vice-Q.ueen,  sent  her,  in  token  of  recon¬ 
ciliation,  a  white  satin  slipper,  entirely  covered  with 
large  diamonds.  The  Count  invited  the  King  of  Spain 
to  visit  his  Mexican  territories,  assuring  him  that  the 
hoofs  of  his  Majesty’s  horse  should  touch  nothing  but 
solid  silver  from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  capital.  This  might 
be  a  bravado  ;  but  a  more  certain  proof  of  his  wealth 
exists  in  the  fact,  that  he  caused  two  ships  of  the  line, 
of  the  largest  size,  to  be  constructed  in  Havana  at 
his  expense,  made  of  mahogany  and  cedar,  and  pre¬ 
sented  them  to  the  King.  The  present  Count  was, 
as  I  already  told  you,  married  to  the  beautiful  daugh¬ 
ter  of  the  Guera  Rodriguez. 

We  arrived  at  Real  del  Monte  about  nine  o’clock, 
and  drove  to  the  Director’s  house,  which  is  extremely 
pretty,  commanding  a  most  beautiful  and  extensive 
view,  and  where  we  found  a  large  fire  burning  in 
the  grate  ;  —  very  agreeable,  as  the  morning  was 
still  somewhat  chill,  and  which  had  a  look  of  home 
and  comfort  that  made  it  still  more  acceptable.  We 


MINES. 


265 


were  received  with  the  greatest  cordiality  by  the  Di¬ 
rector  Mr.  Rule,  and  his  lady,  and  invited  to  partake 
of  the  most  delicious  breakfast  that  I  have  seen  for 
a  long  while  ;  a  happy  melange  of  English  and  Mex¬ 
ican.  The  snow-white  table-cloth,  smoking  tea-urn, 
hot  rolls,  fresh  eggs,  coffee,  tea  and  toast  looked  very 
much  a  l’Anglaise,  while  there  were  numbers  of  sub¬ 
stantial  dishes  a  l’Espagnole,  and  delicious  fresh  cream 
cheeses,  to  all  which,  our  party  did  ample  justice. 

After  breakfast,  we  went  out  to  visit  the  mines,  and 
it  was  curious  to  see  English  children,  clean  and  pret¬ 
ty,  with  their  white  hair  and  rosy  cheeks,  and  neat 
straw  bonnets,  mingled  with  the  little  copper-colored 
Indians.  We  visited  all  the  different  works  ;  the 
apparatus  for  sawing,  the  turning-lathe,  foundery, 
&c. ;  but  I  regretted  to  find  that  we  could  not  de¬ 
scend  into  the  mines.  We  went  to  the  mouth  of  the 
shaft  called  the  Dolores,  which  has  a  narrow  opening, 
and  is  entered  by  perpendicular  ladders.  The  men 
go  down  with  conical  caps  on  their  heads,  in  which 
is  stuck  a  lighted  tallow  candle.  In  the  great  shaft, 
called  Terreros,  they  descend,  by  means  of  these  lad¬ 
ders,  to  the  depth  of  a  thousand  feet,  there  being 
platforms  at  certain  distances,  on  which  they  can  rest. 
We  were  obliged  to  content  ourselves  with  seeing 
them  go  down,  and  with  viewing  and  admiring  all 
the  great  works  which  English  energy  has  established 
here  ;  the  various  steam-engines,  the  buildings  for  the 
separation  and  washing  of  the  ore  ;  the  great  stores, 
work-shops,  offices,  &c.  Nearly  all  the  workmen  are 
British,  and  of  these,  the  Scotch  are  preferred.  Most 
of  the  miners  are  Indians,  who  work  in  companies, 

23 


VOL.  I. 


266 


MINING  COMPANIES. 


and  receive  in  payment  the  eighth  part  of  the  pro¬ 
ceeds.  The  Director  gave  us  some  specimens  of 
silver  from  the  great  heaps  where  they  lie,  sparkling 
like  genii’s  treasure. 

Although  I  have  not  descended  into  these  mines, 
I  might  give  you  a  description  of  them  by  what  I 
have  heard,  and  fill  my  paper  with  arithmetical  fig¬ 
ures,  by  which  you  might  judge  of  the  former  and 
the  present  produce.  I  might  tell  you  how  Don  Lu¬ 
cas  Alaman  went  to  England,  and  raised,  as  if  by 
magic,  the  enthusiasm  of  the  English  ;  how  one  for¬ 
tune  after  another  has  been  swallowed  up  in  the 
dark,  deep  gulf  of  speculation  ;  how  expectations 
have  been  disappointed  ;  and  how  the  great  cause  of 
this  is  the  scarcity  of  quicksilver,  which  has  been 
paid  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per 
quintal  in  real  cash,  when  the  same  quantity  was 
given  at  credit  by  the  Spanish  government  for  fifty 
dollars  ;  how  heaps  of  silver  lie  abandoned,  because 
the  expense  of  acquiring  quicksilver  renders  it  wholly 
unprofitable  to  extract  it ;  and  I  might  repeat  the 
opinion  of  those  persons  by  whom  I  have  heard  the 
subject  discussed ;  who  express  their  astonishment 
that  such  being  the  case,  an  arrangement  is  not  made 
with  the  country  which  is  the  almost  exclusive  pos¬ 
sessor  of  the  quicksilver  mines,  by  which  it  might  be 
procured  at  a  lower  rate,  and  this  great  source  of 
wealth  not  thrown  away.  But  for  all  these  matters 
I  refer  you  to  Humboldt  and  Ward,  by  whom  they  are 
scientifically  treated,  and  will  not  trouble  you  with 
superficial  remarks  on  so  important  a  subject.  In 
fact  I  must  confess  that  my  attention  was  frequently 


REGLA. 


267 


attracted  from  the  mines  and  the  engines  and  the 
works  of  man,  and  the  discussions  arising  therefrom, 
to  the  stupendous  natural  scenery  by  which  we  were 
surrounded  ;  the  unexplored  forests  that  clothe  the 
mountains  to  their  very  summits,  the  torrents  that 
leapt  and  sparkled  in  the  sunshine,  the  deep  ravines, 
the  many-tinted  foliage,  the  bold  and  jutting  rocks. 
All  combines  to  increase  our  admiration  of  the  boun¬ 
ties  of  nature  to  this  favored  land,  to  which  she  has 
given  “  every  herb  bearing  seed,  and  every  tree  that 
is  pleasant  to  the  sight  and  good  for  food,”  while 
her  veins  are  rich  with  precious  metals ;  the  useful 
and  the  beautiful  offered  with  unsparing  hand. 

We  were  obliged  to  leave  Real  about  two  o’clock, 
having  a  long  journey  to  perform  before  night,  as  we 
had  the  intention  of  returning  to  sleep  at  Tepena- 
casco.  We  took  leave  of  our  hospitable  entertain¬ 
ers,  and  again  resumed  our  journey  over  these  fine 
roads,  many  parts  of  which  are  blasted  from  the 
great  rocks  of  porphyry ;  and  as  we  looked  back  at 
the  picturesque  colony  glistening  in  the  sun,  could 
hardly  believe  the  prophecies  of  our  more  experi¬ 
enced  drivers,  that  a  storm  was  brewing  in  the  sky, 
which  would  burst  forth  before  evening.  We  were 
determined  not  to  believe  it,  as  it  was  impossible  to 
pass  by  the  famous  hacienda  and  ravine  of  Regia 
without  paying  them  at  least  a  short  visit. 

This  stupendous  work  of  the  Mexican  miners  in 
former  days,  is  some  leagues  to  the  south  of  Real  del 
Monte,  and  is  said  to  have  cost  many  millions  of  dol¬ 
lars.  One  should  view  it  as  we  did,  in  a  thunder¬ 
storm,  for  it  has  an  air  of  vastness  and  desolation, 


268 


THUNDER  STORM. 


and  at  the  same  time  of  grandeur,  that  shows  well 
amidst  a  war  of  the  elements.  Down  in  a  steep  bar¬ 
ranca,  encircled  by  basaltic  cliffs,  it  lies  ;  a  mighty 
pile  of  building,  which  seems  as  if  it  might  have  been 
constructed  by  some  philosophical  giant  or  necro¬ 
mancer  ;  —  so  that  one  is  not  prepared  to  find  there  an 
English  director  and  his  wife,  and  the  unpoetic  com¬ 
forts  of  roast  mutton  and  potatoes  ! 

All  is  on  a  gigantic  scale  ;  the  immense  vaulted 
store-houses  for  the  silver  ore,  the  great  smelting- 
furnaces  and  covered  buildings  where  we  saw  the 
process  of  amalgamation  going  on  ;  the  water-wheels, 
in  short,  all  the  necessary  machinery  for  the  smelting 
and  amalgamation  of  the  metal.  We  walked  to  see 
the  great  cascade,  with  its  rows  of  basaltic  columns, 
and  found  a  seat  on  a  piece  of  broken  pillar  beside  the 
rushing  river,  where  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  lofty 
cliffs,  covered  with  the  wildest  and  most  luxuriant 
vegetation  ;  vines  trailing  themselves  over  every 
broken  shaft ;  moss  creeping  over  the  huge  disjoint¬ 
ed  masses  of  rock,  and  trees  overhanging  the  precip¬ 
itous  ravine.  The  columns  look  as  if  they  might  have 
been  the  work  of  those  who,  on  the  plains  of  Shinar, 
began  to  build  the  city,  and  the  tower  whose  top 
was  to  reach  to  heaven. 

But,  as  we  sat  here,  the  sky  suddenly  became 
overcast ;  great  black  masses  of  cloud  collected  over 
our  heads,  and  the  rumbling  of  thunder  in  the  dis¬ 
tance  gave  notice  of  an  approaching  storm.  We 
had  scarcely  time  to  get  under'  shelter  of  the  direc¬ 
tor’s  roof,  when  the  thunder  began  to  echo  loudly 
amongst  the  rocks,  and  was  speedily  followed  by 


COUNT  DE  B.EGLA. 


269 


torrents  of  rain.  It  was  a  superb  storm.  The  light¬ 
ning  flashed  amongst  the  trees,  the  wind  howled 
furiously,  while 


“  Far  along 

From  peak  to  peak,  the  rattling  crags  among 
Leapt  the  live  thunder.” 


After  resting  and  dining  amidst  a  running  accompa¬ 
niment  of  splashing  rain,  roaring  wind,  and  deep- 
toned  thunder,  we  found  that  it  was  in  vain  to  wait 
for  a  favorable  change  in  the  weather  ;  and  certainly 
with  less  experienced  drivers,  it  would  have  been 
anything  but  safe  to  have  set  off  amidst  the  darkness 
of  the  storm,  down  precipitous  descents  and  over 
torrents  swelled  by  the  rain.  The  Count  de  Regia, 
who,  attracted  by  the  plentiful  supply  of  water  in  this 
ravine,  conceived  the  idea  of  employing  part  of  his 
enormous  fortune  in  the  construction  of  these  colossal 
works,  must  have  had  an  imagination  on  a  large 
scale.  The  English  directors,  whose  wives  consent 
to  bury  themselves  in  such  abysses,  ought  to  feel 
more  grateful  to  them  than  any  other  husbands  to¬ 
wards  their  sacrificing  better  halves.  For  the  men, 
occupied  all  day  amongst  their  workmen  and  ma¬ 
chinery,  and  returning  late  in  the  evening  to  dine 
and  sleep,  there  is  no  great  self-immolation ;  but  a 
poor  woman,  living  all  alone,  in  a  house  fenced  in  by 
gigantic  rocks,  with  no  other  sound  in  her  ears  from 
morning  till  night  but  the  roar  of  thunder  or  the 
clang  of  machinery,  had  need,  for  her  personal  com¬ 
fort,  to  have  either  a  most  romantic  imagination,  so 
that  she  may  console  herself  with  feeling  like  an  en- 
23* 


270 


RETURN  TO  TEPENACASCO. 


chanted  princess  in  a  giant’s  castle  ;  or  a  most  com¬ 
monplace  spirit,  so  that  she  may  darn  stockings  to 
the  sound  of  the  waterfall,  and  feel  no  other  incon¬ 
venience  from  the  storm,  but  that  her  husband  will 
require  dry  linen  when  he  comes  home. 

As  for  us,  we  were  drenched  before  reaching  the 
carriage,  into  which  the  water  was  pouring ;  and 
when  we  set  off,  once  more,  amidst  the  rapidly-in¬ 
creasing  darkness,  and  over  these  precipitous  roads, 
we  thought  that  our  chance  of  reaching  the  proposed 
haven  that  night  was  very  small.  After  much  toil  to 
the  horses,  we  got  out  of  the  ravines,  and  found  our¬ 
selves  once  more  on  the  great  plains,  where  the  tired 
animals  ploughed  their  way  over  fields  and  ditches 
and  great  stones,  and  among  trees  and  tangled 
bushes ;  an  occasional  flash  of  lightning  our  only 
guide.  Great  was  our  joy,  when,  about  eleven 
o’clock,  a  man,  riding  on  in  advance,  shouted  out, 
that  the  lights  of  Tepenacasco  were  in  sight ;  and  still 
more  complete  our  satisfaction,  when  we  drove  round 
the  tank  into  the  court-yard  of  the  hacienda.  We 
were  received  with  great  applause  by  the  inmates, 
and  were  not  sorry  to  rest  after  a  very  fatiguing,  yet 
agreeable  day. 

Mexico,  21st. 

We  left  Tepenacasco  the  day  before  yesterday.  Our 
journey  was  very  dangerous,  in  consequence  of  the 
great  rains,  which  had  swelled  the  torrents ;  espe¬ 
cially  as  we  set  oft’  late,  and  most  of  it  was  performed 
by  night.  In  these  barrancas,  carriages  and  horse¬ 
men  have  been  frequently  swept  away  and  dashed  in 
pieces  over  the  precipices.  But  to  make  our  situa- 


MOUNTAIN  TORRENTS. 


271 


tion  more  disagreeable,  we  had  scarcely  set  off,  be¬ 
fore  a  terrible  storm  of  thunder  and  rain  again  came 
on,  with  more  violence  than  the  night  preceding.  It 
grew  perfectly  dark,  and  we  listened  with  some  alarm 
to  the  roaring  torrents,  over  which,  especially  over 
one,  not  many  leagues  from  Sopayuca,  where  we 
were  to  spend  the  night,  it  was  extremely  doubtful 
whether  we  could  pass.  The  carriage  was  full  of 
water,  but  we  were  too  much  alarmed  to  be  uneasy 
about  trifles.  Amidst  the  howling  of  the  wind  and 
the  pealing  thunder,  no  one  could  hear  the  other 
speak.  Suddenly,  by  a  vivid  flash  of  lightning,  the 
dreaded  barranca  appeared  in  sight  for  a  moment, 
and  almost  before  the  drivers  could  stop  them,  the 
horses  had  plunged  in.  It  was  a  moment  of  mortal 
fear,  such  as  I  shall  never  forget.  The  shrieks  of 
the  drivers  to  encourage  the  horses,  the  loud  cries  of 
Ave  Maria !  the  uncertainty  as  to  whether  our  heavy 
carriage  could  be  dragged  across,  the  horses  strug¬ 
gling  and  splashing  in  the  boiling  torrent,  and  the 
horrible  fate  that  awaited  us  should  one  of  them  fall 

or  falter !  .  .  .  .  The  Senora - and  I  shut  our 

eyes,  and  held  each  other’s  hands,  and  certainly 
no  one  breathed  till  we  were  safe  on  the  other  side. 
We  were  then  told  that  we  had  crossed  within  a  few 
feet  of  a  precipice,  over  which  a  coach  had  been 
dashed  into  fifty  pieces  during  one  of  these  swells, 
and  of  course  every  one  killed  ;  and  that,  if  instead 
of  horses,  we  had  travelled  with  mules,  we  must  have 
been  lost.  You  may  imagine  that  we  were  not  sorry 
to  reach  Sopayuca ;  where  the  people  ran  out  to  the 
door  at  the  sound  of  carriage  wheels,  and  could  not 


272 


EL  CHATO. 


C( 


5? 


believe  that  we  had  passed  the  barranca  that  night ; 
as  two  or  three  horsemen  who  had  rode  in  that  di¬ 
rection  had  turned  back,  and  pronounced  it  impass¬ 
able. 

Lights  and  supper  were  soon  procured,  and  by 
way  of  interlude,  a  monstrous  bull  of  great  fame  in 
these  parts,  was  led  up  to  the  supper-table  for  our 
inspection,  with  a  rope  through  his  nose ;  a  fierce 
brute,  but  familiarly  called  “  el  chato,”  the  flatnose, 
from  the  shortness  of  his  horns.  The  lightning  con¬ 
tinued  very  vivid,  and  they  told  us  that  a  woman  had 
been  struck  there  some  time  before,  while  in  the 
chapel  by  night. 

We  rose  at  four  o’clock  the  next  morning,  and  set 
off  for  Mexico.  The  morning,  as  usual  after  these 
storms,  was  peculiarly  fresh  and  beautiful ;  but  the 
sun  soon  grew  oppressive  on  the  great  plains.  About 
two  o’clock,  we  entered  Mexico  by  the  Guadalupe 
gate.  We  found  our  house  in  statu  quo — agreeable 
letters  from  Europe  —  great  preparations  making  for 
the  English  ball,  to  assist  at  which  we  have  returned 
sooner  than  we  otherwise  should,  and  for  which  my 
femme-de-chambre  has  just  completed  a  dress  for 
me,  very  much  to  her  own  satisfaction. 


LETTER  THE  EIGHTEENTH. 


English  Ball  —  Dresses  —  Diamonds  —  Mineria  —  Arrival  of  the 
Pope’s  Bull  —  Consecration  of  the  Archbishop  —  Foreign  Min¬ 
isters —  Splendor  of  the  Cathedral  —  Description  of  the  cere¬ 
mony. 


25th. 

The  English  ball  at  the  Mineria  has  passed  off  with 
great  eclat.  Nothing  could  be  more  splendid  than 
the  general  effect  of  this  noble  building,  brilliantly 
illuminated  and  filled  with  a  well-dressed  crowd. 
The  President  and  corps  diplomatique  were  in  full 
uniform,  and  the  display  of  diamonds  was  extraordi¬ 
nary.  We  ladies  of  the  corps  diplomatique  tried  to 
flatter  ourselves  that  we  made  up  in  elegance  what 
we  wanted  in  magnificence  !  for  in  jewels  no  foreign 
ladies  could  attempt  to  compete  with  those  of  the 
country.  The  daughter  of  Countess - ,  just  ar¬ 

rived  from  Paris,  and  whose  acquaintance  I  made  for 
the  first  time,  wore  pale  blue,  with  garlands  of  pale 
pink  roses,  and  a  parure  of  most  superb  brilliants. 

The  Senora  de  A - ’s  head  reminded  me  of  that 

of  the  Marchioness  of  Londonderry,  in  her  opera- 
box.  The  Marquesa  de  Yivanco  had  a  riviere  of 
brilliants  of  extraordinary  size  and  beauty,  and  per¬ 
fectly  well  set.  Madame  S - r  wore  a  very  rich 

blonde  dress,  garnie  with  plumes  of  ostrich  feathers, 


274 


ENGLISH  BALL. 


a  large  diamond  fastening  each  plume.  One  lady 

wore  a  diadem  which - said  could  not  be  worth 

less  than  a  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Diamonds  are 
always  worn  plain  or  with  pearls  ;  colored  stones  are 
considered  trash,  which  is  a  pity,  as  I  think  rubies 
and  emeralds  set  in  diamonds  would  give  more  vari¬ 
ety  and  splendor  to  their  jewels.  There  were  a  pro¬ 
fusion  of  large  pearls,  generally  of  a  pear  shape. 
The  finest  and  roundest  were  those  worn  by  the 

Sehora  B - a.  There  were  many  blonde  dresses, 

a  great  fashion  here.  I  know  no  lady  without  one. 
Amongst  the  prettiest  and  most  tastefully  dressed 

girls,  were  the  E - s,  as  usual.  Many  dresses 

were  overloaded,  a  common  fault  in  Mexico  ;  and 
many  of  the  dresses,  though  rich,  were  old-fashioned  ; 
but  the  coup  d’ceil  was  not  the  less  brilliant,  and  it 
was  somewhat  astonishing,  in  such  a  multitude,  not 
to  see  a  single  objectionable  person.  To  be  sure  the 
company  were  all  invited. 

On  entering  the  noble  court,  which  was  brilliantly 
illuminated  with  colored  lamps  hung  from  pillar  to 
pillar,  and  passing  up  the  great  staircase,  we  were 
met  at  the  first  landing,  by  Mr.  P - in  full  uni¬ 

form,  and  other  English  gentlemen,  the  directors  of 
the  ball,  who  stood  there  to  receive  the  ladies.  His 
Excellency  led  me  up  stairs  to  the  top  of  the  ball¬ 
room,  where  chairs  were  placed  for  the  president, 
ladies  of  the  diplomatics,  cabinet  ministers,  &c.  The 
music  was  excellent,  and  dancing  was  already  in  full 
force.  And  though  there  were  assembled  what  is 
called  all  Mexico,  the  rooms  are  so  large,  that  the 
crowrd  was  not  disagreeable,  nor  the  heat  oppressive. 


QUEEN  VICTORIA. 


275 


Pictures  of  Queen  Victoria  were  hung  in  the  differ¬ 
ent  large  halls.  The  supper-tables  were  very  hand¬ 
some  ;  and  in  fact  the  ball  altogether  was  worthy  of 
its  object ;  for  Messieurs  les  Anglais  always  do  these 
things  well  when  they  attempt  them. 

The  President  took  me  to  supper.  The  company 
walked  in  to  the  music  of  God  save  the  Queen. 
After  we  had  sat  a  little  while,  the  President  de¬ 
manded  silence,  and  in  a  short  speech,  proposed  the 
health  of  Her  Majesty  Queen  Victoria,  which  was 
drank  by  all  the  company  standing.  After  supper, 
we  continued  dancing  till  nearly  six  in  the  morning ; 
and  when  we  got  into  the  carriage  it  was  broad  day¬ 
light,  and  all  the  bells  were  ringing  for  mass  ! 

This  is  the  best  ball  we  have  seen  here,  without 
any  exception  ;  and  is  said  to  have  cost  eleven  thou¬ 
sand  dollars.  There  were  certainly  a  great  number  of 
pretty  faces  at  this  fete,  many  pretty  girls  whom  we  had 
not  seen  before,  and  whom  the  English  secretaries  had 
contrived  to  unearth.  Fine  eyes  are  a  mere  drug  — 
every  one  has  them  ;  large,  dark,  full  orbs,  with  long 
silken  lashes.  As  for  diamonds,  no  man  above  the 
rank  of  a  lepero  marries  in  this  country  without 
presenting  his  bride  with  at  least  a  pair  of  diamond 
ear-rings,  or  a  pearl  necklace  with  a  diamond  clasp. 
They  are  not  always  a  proof  of  wealth,  though  they 
constitute  it  in  themselves.  Their  owners  may  be 
very  poor  in  other  respects.  They  are  considered 
a  necessary  of  life ;  quite  as  much  so  as  shoes  and 
stockings. 

June  2d. — On  the  15th  of  April,  the  pontifical 
bulls  arrived  from  Rome,  confirming  the  election  of 


276  CONSECRATION  OF  THE  ARCHBISHOP. 

the  Sehor  Posada  to  the  Archieopiscopal  dignity ; 
and  on  Sunday  last,  the  31st  of  May,  the  consecra¬ 
tion  took  place  in  the  Cathedral  with  the  greatest 
pomp.  The  presiding  Bishop  was  the  Senor  Be- 
launzaran,  the  old  Bishop  of  Linares  ;  the  two  assist¬ 
ing  Bishops  were  the  Sehor  Madrid,  a  young,  good- 
looking  man,  who  having  been  banished  from  Mexico 
during  the  revolution,  took  refuge  in  Rome,  where 
he  obtained  the  favor  of  the  Pope,  who  afterwards 
recommended  him  to  an  episcopal  see  in  Mexico ; 
and  the  Doctor  Morales,  formerly  Bishop  of  Sonora. 
His  padrino  was  the  President,  General  Bustamante, 
who  in  this  capacity  presented  his  godson  with  the 
splendid  pastoral  ring,  a  solitary  diamond  of  im¬ 
mense  size.  All  the  diplomatic  body  and  the  cabinet 
went  in  full  uniform  ;  chairs  being  placed  for  them 
on  each  side  of  the  crugia,  (the  passage  leading  to 
the  altar.)  A  dispute  upon  the  subject  of  prece¬ 
dence  arose  between  an  excellency  of  the  diplomatic 
corps,  and  the  secretary  of  state,  which  seems  likely 
to  have  disagreeable  consequences.  I  had  the  plea¬ 
sure  of  kneeling  beside  these  illustrious  persons  for 
the  space  of  three  or  four  hours,  for  no  seats  were 
placed  for  the  wives  either  of  the  diplomates  or  of 
the  cabinet. 

But  the  ceremony,  though  long,  was  very  superb, 
the  music  fine,  the  quantity  of  jewels  on  the  dresses 
of  the  bishops  and  priests,  and  on  the  holy  vessels, 
& c.,  enormous.  The  bishops  were  arrayed  in  white 
velvet  and  gold,  and  their  mitres  were  literally  cover¬ 
ed  with  diamonds.  The  gold  candlesticks  and  gold¬ 
en  basins,  and  golden  vessels  for  holy  water,  and 


PONTIFICAL  VESTMENTS. 


277 


golden  incensories,  reminded  me  of  the  description 
of  the  ornaments  of  the  Jewish  tabernacle  in  the 
days  of  Moses  ;  of  the  “  candlesticks  of  pure  gold, 
with  golden  branches ;  ”  and  “the  tongs  and  snuff- 
dishes  of  pure  gold  ;  ”  or  of  the  temple  of  Solomon, 
where  the  altar  was  of  gold,  and  the  table  of  gold,  and 
the  candlesticks,  and  the  snuffers,  and  the  basins,  and 
the  spoons,  and  the  censors  were  of  pure  gold.  The 
pontifical  vestments,  destined  for  the  elected  primate, 
were  all  prepared  ;  —  sandals,  amice,  surplice,  girdle, 
pectoral  cross,  stole,  gown,  vestment  with  open 
sleeves,  (the  dalmatica,)  crosier,  mitre,  pontifical 
ring,  &c.  Magnificent  chairs  were  prepared  for  the 
bishops,  near  the  altar,  and  the  president  in  uniform 
took  his  place  amongst  them.  The  presiding  bishop 
took  his  seat  alone,  with  his  back  to  the  altar,  and 
the  Senor  Posada  was  led  in  by  the  assisting  bishops, 
they  with  their  mitres,  he  with  his  priest’s  cap  on. 
Arrived  before  the  presiding  Bishop,  he  uncovered 
his  head,  and  made  a  profound  obeisance.  These 
three  then  took  their  places  on  chairs  placed  in  front ; 
and  the  ceremony  having  begun,  in  case  you  should 
wish  to  have  some  idea  of  it,  I  shall  endeavor  to  give 
it  you,  for  I  was  so  situated,  that  although  the  cathe¬ 
dral  was  crowded  to  excess,  I  could  see  and  hear  all 
that  passed.  Let  me  premise,  however,  that  there 
was  not  one  lepero,  as  they  are  always  excluded  on 
such  occasions. 

Posada  and  his  assistant  bishops  rose,  and  uncov¬ 
ered  their  heads ;  and  the  bishop  Morales  turning  to 
the  presiding  Bishop,  said,  “  Most  reverend  father, 
the  holy  Catholic  Mother  Church  requests  you  to 

24 


VOL.  L 


278 


EXAMINATION. 


raise  this  Presbyter  to  the  charge  of  the  archbish¬ 
opric.” 

“  Have  you  an  apostolical  mandate  ?  ” 

“  We  have.” 

“  Read  it.” 

An  assistant  priest  then  read  the  mandate  in  a 
loud  voice  ;  upon  which  they  all  sat  down,  the  con- 
secrator  saying  “  Thanks  be  to  God  !  ”  Then  Po¬ 
sada  kneeling  before  him,  took  an  oath  upon  the 
Bible,  which  the  Bishop  held,  concluding  with  these 
words  —  “  So  may  God  help  me,  and  these  his  holy 
gospels.”  Then  all  sitting  down,  and  resuming  their 
mitres,  the  examination  of  the  future  Archbishop  took 
place.  It  was  very  long,  and  at  its  conclusion,  Po¬ 
sada  knelt  before  the  presiding  Bishop  and  kissed  his 
hand.  To  this  succeeded  the  confession,  every  one 
standing  uncovered  before  the  altar,  which  was  then 
sprinkled  with  incense.  Then  followed  the  mass, 
chanted. 

The  assistant  bishops  then  led  out  the  Seiior  Po¬ 
sada  to  the  chapel,  where  they  put  on  his  sandals, 
and  where  he  assumed  the  pectoral  cross,  amice,  sur¬ 
plice,  <fcc. ;  and  arriving  at  the  altar,  read  the  office 
of  the  mass.  He  was  then  conducted  again  before 
the  consecrating  Bishop,  who  was  seated  with  his 
mitre,  and  after  saluting  him  reverently,  he  sat  down. 
Then  the  Bishop,  addressing  him,  said  :  “  It  is  the 
duty  of  the  Bishop  to  judge,  interpret,  consecrate, 
ordain,  offer,  baptize  and  confirm.” 

All  then  rose,  and  the  Bishop  prayed  that  the 
newly-elected  primate  might  receive  the  grace  of 
heaven.  All  the  bishops  and  priests  then  prostrated 


BENEDICTION. 


279 


themselves,  while  the  Litanies  were  sung.  The  pre¬ 
siding  Bishop,  rising,  took  the  crosier,  and  prayed 
three  times  for  a  blessing  on  the  Chosen  One  ;  thrice 
making  on  him  the  sign  of  the  cross ;  and  they  con¬ 
tinued  to  sing  the  Litanies ;  at  the  conclusion  of 
which  they  all  arose,  took  their  seats  and  resumed 
their  mitres,  Posada  alone  kneeling  before  the  Bishop. 

The  Bible  was  then  placed  upon  his  shoulders, 
while  he  remained  prostrated,  and  the  Bishop  rising 
up,  pronounced  a  solemn  benediction  upon  him,  while 
the  hymn  of  “  Veni  Creator  Spiritus,”  was  sung  in 
full  chorus.  Then  the  Bishop,  dipping  his  hand  in 
the  holy  chrism,  anointed  the  primate’s  head,  making 
on  it  the  sign  of  the  cross,  saying,  “  Let  thy  head  be 
anointed  and  consecrated  with  the  celestial  bene¬ 
diction,  according  to  the  pontifical  mandate.”  The 
Bishop  then  anointed  his  hands,  making  in  the  same 
manner  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  saying,  “  May 
these  hands  be  anointed  with  holy  oil ;  and  as  Sam¬ 
uel  anointed  David  a  king  and  a  prophet,  so  be  thou 
anointed  and  consecrated.”  This  was  followed  by 
a  solemn  prayer. 

Then  the  crosier  was  blessed,  and  presented  to  the 
elected  Archbishop  with  these  words.  “  Receive  the 
pastoral  crosier,  that  thou  mayest  be  humanely  severe 
in  correcting  vices,  exercising  judgment  without  wrath, 
&c.”  The  blessing  of  the  ring  followed,  with  solemn 
prayer,  and  being  sprinkled  with  holy  water,  it  was 
placed  on  the  third  finger  of  the  right  hand,  the 
Bishop  saying ;  “  Receive  the  ring,  which  is  a  sign  of 
faith  ;  that,  adorned  with  incorruptible  faith,  thou 
mayest  guard  inviolably  the  spouse  of  God,  his  Holy 
Church.” 


280 


COMMUNION. 


The  Bible  being  then  taken  off  the  shoulders  of 
the  prostrate  prelate,  was  presented  to  him  with  an 
injunction  to  receive  and  to  preach  the  gospel.  Fi¬ 
nally,  the  Bishop  bestowed  on  him  the  kiss  of  peace ; 
and  all  the  other  bishops  did  so  in  their  turn.  Posada 
then  retired,  and  his  head  and  hands  being  washed, 
he  soon  after  returned  with  the  assistant  bishops, 
carrying  two  lighted  wax  tapers,  which  he  presented 
to  the  presiding  Bishop,  together  with  two  loaves  and 
two  small  barrels  of  wine,  reverently  kissing  his  hand. 
After  this,  the  presiding  Bishop  washed  his  hands  and 
mounted  the  steps  of  the  altar,  and  the  new  primate 
received  the  sacrament. 

The  mitre  was  then  blessed  and  placed  upon  his 
head,  with  a  prayer  by  the  Bishop,  that  thus,  with  his 
head  armed  and  with  the  staff  of  the  gospels,  he 
might  appear  terrible  to  the  adversaries  of  the  True 
Faith.  The  gloves  were  next  consecrated  and  drawn 
on  his  hands,  the  Bishop  praying  that  his  hands  might 
be  surrounded  by  the  purity  of  the  new  man  ;  and 
that  as  Jacob,  when  he  covered  his  hands  with  goat¬ 
skins,  offered  agreeable  meats  to  his  father,  and  re¬ 
ceived  his  paternal  benediction,  so  he,  in  offering  the 
Holy  Sacrament,  might  obtain  the  benediction  of  his 
Heavenly  Father.  The  Archbishop  was  then  seated 
by  the  consecrating  Bishop  on  his  pontifical  throne, 
and  at  the  same  moment,  the  hymn  Te  deum  lauda- 
mus  was  chanted.  During  the  hymn,  the  bishops, 
with  their  jewelled  mitres,  rose,  and  passing  through 
the  church,  blessed  the  whole  congregation,  the  new 
Archbishop  still  remaining  near  the  altar,  and  with¬ 
out  his  mitre.  When  he  returned  to  his  seat,  the 


FIRST  MEXICAN  ARCHBISHOP. 


281 


assistant  bishops,  including  the  consecrator,  remained 
standing  till  the  hymn  was  concluded. 

The  presiding  Bishop  then  advancing,  without  his 
mitre,  to  the  right  hand  of  the  Archbishop,  said  ; 
“  May  thy  hand  be  strengthened  !  May  thy  right 
hand  be  exalted  !  May  justice  and  judgment  be  the 
preparation  of  thy  See  !  ”  Then  the  organ  pealed 
forth,  and  they  chanted  the  hymn  of  “  Gloria  Patri.” 
Long  and  solemn  prayer  followed  ;  and  then,  all  un¬ 
covered,  stood  beside  the  gospels,  at  the  altar. 

The  Archbishop  rose,  and  with  mitre  and  crosier, 
pronounced  a  solemn  blessing  on  all  the  people  as¬ 
sembled.  Then,  while  all  knelt  beside  the  altar,  he 
said  —  “  For  many  years.”  This  he  repeated  thrice  ; 
the  second  time,  in  the  middle  of  the  altar,  the  third 
at  the  feet  of  the  presiding  Bishop.  Then  all  rising, 
the  Archbishop  bestowed  on  each  the  kiss  of  peace, 
and  the  ceremony  concluded. 

When  everything  was  over,  our  carriage  not  being 
visible  amongst  the  crowd  of  vehicles,  I  returned 

home  in  that  of  the - Minister,  with  him  and  his 

Attaches ;  after  which,  they  and  C - n  returned  to 

dine  with  the  new  Archbishop  in  his  palace.  A  dish 
of  sweetmeats  was  sent  me  from  his  table,  which  are 
so  pretty,  (probably  the  chef  d’oeuvre  of  the  Nuns,) 
that  I  send  them  to  you,  to  preserve  as  a  memorial  of 
the  consecration  of  the  first  Mexican  Archbishop  — 
perhaps  of  the  last ! 


24* 


LETTER  THE  NINETEENTH. 


Mexican  servants  —  Anecdotes  —  Remedies  —  An  unsafe  Porter 
—  Galopinas  —  The  reboso  —  The  sarape  —  Women-eooks  — 
F oreign  servants  —  Characteristics  of  Mexican  servants  —  Ser¬ 
vants’  wages  —  Nun  of  the  Santa  Teresa  —  Motives  for  taking 
the  veil. 


June  3d. 

You  ask  me  to  tell  you  how  I  find  the  Mexican  ser¬ 
vants.  Hitherto  I  had  avoided  the  ungrateful  theme, 
from  very  weariness  of  it.  The  badness  of  the 
servants,  is  an  unfailing  source  of  complaint  even 
amongst  Mexicans  ;  much  more  so  amongst  foreign¬ 
ers,  especially  on  their  first  arrival.  We  hear  of  their 
addiction  to  stealing,  their  laziness,  drunkenness,  dirti¬ 
ness,  with  a  host  of  other  vices.  That  these  com¬ 
plaints  are  frequently  just,  there  can  be  no  doubt,  but 
the  evil  might  be  remedied  to  a  great  extent.  In  the 
first  place,  servants  are  constantly  taken  without  being 
required  to  bring  a  recommendation  from  their  last 
place  ;  and  in  the  next,  recommendations  are  con¬ 
stantly  given,  whether  from  indolence  or  mistaken 
kindness  to  servants  who  do  not  deserve  them.  A 
servant  who  has  lived  in  a  dozen  different  houses, 
staying  about  a  month  in  each,  is  not  thought  the 
worse  of  on  that  account.  As  the  love  of  finery  is 
inherent  in  them  all,  even  more  so  than  in  other 


SERVANTS. 


283 


daughters  of  Eve,  a  girl  will  go  to  service  merely  to 
earn  sufficient  to  buy  herself  an  embroidered  chem¬ 
ise  ;  and  if,  in  addition  to  this,  she  can  pick  up  a  pair 
of  small  old  satin  shoes,  she  will  tell  you  she  is  tired 
of  working,  and  going  home  to  rest,  “ para  descan- 
sar .”  So  little  is  necessary,  when  one  can  content¬ 
edly  live  on  tortillas  and  chile,  sleep  on  a  mat,  and 
dress  in  rags  ! 

A  decent  old  woman,  who  came  to  the  house  to 
wash  shortly  after  our  arrival  in  this  country,  left  us 
at  the  end  of  a  month,  “ para  descansar .”  Soon 
after,  she  used  to  come  with  her  six  children,  they  and 
herself  all  in  rags,  and  beg  the  gardener  to  give  her 
any  odds  and  ends  of  vegetables  he  could  spare.  My 
maid  asked  her,  why,  being  so  poor,  she  had  left  a 
good  place,  where  she  got  twelve  dollars  a  month. 
“  Jesus  !  ”  said  she,  “  if  you  only  knew  the  pleasure 
of  doing  nothing  !  ” 

I  wished  to  bring  up  a  little  girl  as  a  servant,  hav¬ 
ing  her  taught  to  read,  sew,  &c.  A  child  of  twelve 
years  old,  one  of  a  large  family,  who  subsisted  upon 
charity,  was  procured  for  me  ;  and  I  promised  her 
mother  that  she  should  be  taught  to  read,  taken 
regularly  to  church,  and  instructed  in  all  kinds  of 
work.  She  was  rather  pretty,  and  very  intelligent, 
though  extremely  indolent ;  and  though  she  had  no 
stockings,  would  consent  to  wear  nothing  but  dirty 
white  satin  shoes,  too  short  for  her  foot.  Once  a 
week,  her  mother,  a  tall,  slatternly  woman,  with  long 
tangled  hair,  and  a  cigar  in  her  mouth,  used  to  come 
to  visit  her,  accompanied  by  a  friend,  a  friend’s 
friend,  and  a  train  of  girls,  her  daughters.  The 


284 


JOSEFITA. 


housekeeper  would  give  them  some  dinner,  after 
which  they  would  all  light  their  cigars,  and,  together 
with  the  little  Josefita,  sit  and  howl  and  bemoan 
themselves,  crying  and  lamenting  her  sad  fate  in  be¬ 
ing  obliged  to  go  out  to  service.  After  these  visits, 
Josefita  was  fit  for  nothing.  If  desired  to  sew,  she 
would  sit  looking  so  miserable,  and  doing  so  little, 
that  it  seemed  better  to  allow  her  to  leave  her  work 
alone.  Then,  tolerably  contented,  she  would  sit  on 
a  mat,  doing  nothing,  her  hands  folded  and  her  eyes 
fixed  on  vacancy. 

According  to  promise,  I  took  her  several  times  to 
see  her  mother,  but  one  day  being  occupied,  I  sent 
her  alone  in  the  carriage,  with  charge  to  the  servants 
to  bring  her  safely  back.  In  the  evening,  she  re¬ 
turned,  accompanied  by  her  whole  family,  all  crying 
and  howling;  “  For  the  love  of  the  Most  Holy  Vir¬ 
gin,  Sehora  mia  !  Por  la  purissima  concepcion!” 
&c.,  &c.,  &c.  I  asked  what  had  happened,  and 
after  much  difficulty  discovered  that  their  horror  was 
occasioned  by  my  having  sent  her  alone  in  the  car¬ 
riage.  It  happened  that  the  Countess  S - was  in 

the  drawing-room,  and  to  her  I  related  the  cause  of 
the  uproar.  To  my  astonishment,  she  assured  me 
that  the  woman  was  in  this  instance  right,  and  that 
it  was  very  dangerous  to  send  a  girl  of  twelve  years 
old  from  one  street  to  another,  in  the  power  of  the 
coachman  and  footman.  Finding  from  such  good 
authority  that  this  was  the  case,  I  begged  the  woman 
to  be  contented  with  seeing  her  daughter  once  a 
month,  when  if  she  could  not  come  herself,  I  should 
send  her  under  proper  protection.  She  agreed  ;  but 


AN  UNSAFE  PORTER. 


285 


one  day  having  given  Josefita  permission  to  spend 
the  night  at  her  mother’s,  I  received  next  morning  a 
dirty  note,  nearly  illegible,  which,  after  calling  down 
the  protection  of  the  Virgin  upon  me,  concluded  — 
“  but  with  much  sorrow  I  must  take  my  child  from 
the  most  illustrious  protection  of  your  Excellency, 
for  she  needs  to  rest  herself,  (es  preciso  que  descanse,) 
and  is  tired  for  the  present  of  working.”  The  woman 
then  returned  to  beg,  which  she  considered  infinitely 
less  degrading. 

Against  this  nearly  universal  indolence  and  indif¬ 
ference  to  earning  money,  the  heads  of  families  have 
to  contend ;  as  also  against  thieving  and  dirtiness ; 
yet  I  think  the  remedy  much  easier  than  it  appears. 
If  on  the  one  hand,  no  one  were  to  receive  a  servant 
into  their  house,  without  respectable  references,  es¬ 
pecially  from  their  last  place,  and  if  their  having  re¬ 
mained  one  year  in  the  same  house  were  considered 
necessary  to  their  being  received  into  another,  unless 
from  some  peculiar  circumstances  ;  and  if  on  the 
other  hand  it  were  considered  as  unjust  and  danger¬ 
ous,  as  it  really  is,  to  recommend  a  servant  who  has 
been  guilty  of  stealing,  as  being  “  muy  honrado,”  very 
honest,  some  improvement  might  soon  take  place. 

A  porter  was  recommended  to  us  as  “  muy  hon¬ 
rado  not  from  his  last  place,  but  from  one  be¬ 
fore  it.  He  was  a  well-dressed,  sad-looking  indi¬ 
vidual  ;  and  at  the  same  time  we  took  his  wife  as 
washerwoman,  and  his  brother  as  valet  to  our  at¬ 
tache,  thus  having  the  whole  family  under  our  roof, 
wisely  taking  it  for  granted  that  he  being  recom¬ 
mended  as  particularly  honest,  his  relations  were 


286 


RESULTS  OP  GAMBLING. 


£<  all  honorable  men.”  An  English  lady  happened 
to  call  on  me ;  and  a  short  time  after  I  went  to  re¬ 
turn  her  visit ;  when  she  informed  me  that  the  per¬ 
son  who  had  opened  the  door  for  her  was  a  noto¬ 
rious  thief,  whom  the  police  had  long  been  in  search 
of;  that  she  had  feared  sending  a  servant  to  warn  us 
of  our  danger,  lest  guessing  the  purport  of  her  mes¬ 
sage,  he  might  rob  the  house  before  leaving  it.  We 
said  nothing  to  the  man  that  evening,  but  he  looked 
paler  and  more  miserable  than  usual,  probably  fore¬ 
seeing  what  would  be  the  result  of  Mrs. - ’s  visit. 

The  next  morning  C - n  sent  for  him  and  dis¬ 

missed  him,  giving  him  a  month’s  wages,  that  he 
might  not  be  tempted  'to  steal  from  immediate  want. 
His  face  grew  perfectly  livid,  but  he  made  no  re¬ 
mark.  In  half  an  hour  he  returned  and  begged  to 

speak  with  C - n.  He  confessed  that  the  crime 

of  which  he  concluded  he  was  accused,  he  had  in 
fact  committed  ;  that  he  had  been  tempted  to  a 
gambling  house,  while  he  had  in  his  pocket  a  large 
sum  of  money  belonging  to  his  master.  After  losing 
his  own  money,  he  tried  his  fortune  with  what  was 
not  his  own  ;  lost  the  whole  sum,  then  pawned  a 
valuable  shawl  worth  several  hundred  dollars,  with 
which  also  he  had  been  entrusted  ;  and  having  lost 
everything,  in  despair  made  his  escape  from  Mexico. 
He  remained  in  concealment  for  some  time,  till  hear¬ 
ing  that  we  wanted  a  porter,  he  ventured  to  present 
himself  to  the  housekeeper  with  his  former  certifi¬ 
cate.  He  declared  himself  thoroughly  repentant  — 
that  this  was  his  first,  and  would  be  his  last  crime  — 
but  who  can  trust  the  good  resolutions  of  a  gambler  ! 


GALOPINAS. 


287 


We  were  obliged  to  send  him  away,  especially  as  the 
other  servants  already  had  some  suspicions  concern¬ 
ing  him ;  and  everything  stolen  in  the  house  would 
in  future  have  been  attributed  to  him.  The  gentle¬ 
man  who  had  recommended  him,  afterwards  con¬ 
fessed  that  he  always  had  strong  suspicions  of  this 
man’s  honesty,  and  knew  him  to  be  so  determined  a 
gambler,  that  he  had  pawned  all  he  possessed,  even 
his  wife’s  clothes,  to  obtain  money  for  that  purpose. 
Now  as  a  porter  in  Mexico  has  pretty  much  at  his 
disposal  the  property  and  even  the  lives  of  the 
whole  family,  it  is  certainly  most  blamable  to  recom¬ 
mend  to  that  situation  a  man  whose  honesty  is  more 
than  doubtful.  We  afterwards  procured  two  sol¬ 
diers  from  the  Invalidos,  old  Spaniards,  to  act  in 
that  capacity,  who  had  no  other  foiblesse  but  that  of 
being  constantly  drunk.  We  at  length  found  two 
others,  who  only  got  tipsy  alternately,  so  that  we 
considered  ourselves  very  well  off. 

We  had  a  long  series  of  galopinas,  kitchen-maids, 
and  the  only  one  who  brought  a  first-rate  character 
with  her,  robbed  the  housekeeper.  The  money,  how¬ 
ever,  was  recovered,  and  was  found  to  have  been 
placed  by  the  girl  in  the  hands  of  a  rich  and  appa¬ 
rently  respectable  coach-maker.  He  refunded  it  to 
the  rightful  owner,  and  the  galopina  was  punished  by 
a  month’s  imprisonment,  which  he  should  have  shared 
with  her.  One  of  the  most  disagreeable  customs  of 
the  women-servants,  is  that  of  wearing  their  long  hair 
hanging  down  at  its  full  length,  matted,  uncombed, 
and  always  in  the  way.  I  cannot  imagine  how  the 
Mexican  ladies,  who  complain  of  this,  permit  it.  Flow- 


288 


REB0S0S. 


ing  hair  sounds  very  picturesque,  but  when  it  is  very 
dirty,  and  suspended  over  the  soup,  it  is  not  a  pretty 
picture. 

The  reboso,  in  itself  graceful  and  convenient,  has 
the  disadvantage  of  being  the  greatest  cloak  for  all 
untidiness,  uncombed  hair  and  raggedness,  that  ever 
was  invented.  Even  in  the  better  classes,  it  occa¬ 
sions  much  indolence  in  the  toilette,  but  in  the  com¬ 
mon  people,  its  effect  is  overwhelming.  When  the 
reboso  drops  off,  or  is  displaced  by  chance,  we  see 
what  they  would  be  without  it !  As  for  the  sarape, 
it  is  both  convenient  and  graceful,  especially  on 
horseback ;  but  though  Indian  in  its  origin,  the  cus¬ 
tom  of  covering  the  lower  part  of  the  face  with  it,  is 
taken  from  the  Spanish  cloak ;  and  the  opportunity 
which  both  sarape  and  reboso  afford  for  concealing 
large  knives  about  the  person,  as  also  for  enveloping 
both  face  and  figure  so  as  to  be  scarcely  recognisa¬ 
ble,  is  no  doubt  the  cause  of  the  many  murders 
which  take  place  amongst  the  lower  orders,  in  mo¬ 
ments  of  excitement  and  drunkenness.  If  they  had 
not  these  knives  at  hand,  their  rage  would  probably 
cool,  or  a  fair  fight  would  finish  the  matter,  and  if 
they  could  not  wear  these  knives  concealed,  I  pre¬ 
sume  they  would  be  prohibited  from  carrying  them. 

As  for  taking  a  woman-cook  in  Mexico,  one  must 
have  strong  nerves  and  a  good  appetite  to  eat  what 
she  dresses,  however  palatable,  after  having  seen  her. 
One  look  at  her  flowing  locks,  one  glance  at  her  re¬ 
boso,  et  c'est  fini.  And  yet  the  Mexican  servants 
have  their  good  qualities,  and  are  a  thousand  times 
preferable  to  the  foreign  servants  one  finds  in  Mexi- 


servants’  wages. 


289 


co;  especially  to  the  French.  Bringing  them  with 
you  is  a  dangerous  experiment.  In  ten  days  they 
begin  to  fancy  themselves  ladies  and  gentlemen  — 
the  men  have  Don  tacked  to  their  name  :  and  they 
either  marry  and  set  up  shops,  or  become  unbearably 
insolent.  A  tolerable  French  cook  may  occasionally 
be  had,  but  you  must  pay  his  services  their  weight  in 
gold,  and  wink  at  his  extortions  and  robberies.  There 
are  one  or  two  French  restaurans,  who  will  send  you 
in  a  very  good  dinner  at  an  extravagant  price ;  and 
it  is  common  in  foreign  houses,  especially  amongst 
the  English,  to  adopt  this  plan  whenever  they  give  a 
large  entertainment. 

The  Mexican  servants  have  some  never-failing 
good  qualities.  They  are  the  perfection  of  civility  — 
humble,  obliging,  excessively  good-tempered,  and 
very  easily  attached  to  those  with  whom  they  live ; 
and  if  that  rara  avis,  a  good  Mexican  housekeeper,  can 
be  found,  and  that  such  may  be  met  with  I  from  ex¬ 
perience  can  testify,  then  the  troubles  of  the  menage 
rest  upon  her  shoulders,  and  accustomed  as  she  is  to 
the  amiable  weaknesses  of  her  compatriotes,  she  is 
neither  surprised  nor  disturbed  by  them. 

As  for  wages,  a  good  porter  has  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  dollars  per  month ;  a  coachman  from  twenty 
to  thirty  — many  houses  keep  two  or  even  three 
coachmen  ;  one  who  drives  from  the  box,  one  who 
rides  postilion,  and  a  third  for  emergencies.  Our 
friend  - ,  who  has  many  horses,  mules  and  car¬ 

riages,  has  four  ;  and  pays  forty  dollars  per  month  to 
his  head  coachman ;  the  others  in  proportion.  A 
French  cook  has  about  thirty  dollars  —  a  housekeeper 
25 


VOL.  I. 


290 


NUN  OF  SANTA  TERESA. 


from  twelve  to  fifteen  ;  a  major-domo  about  twenty 
or  more  ;  a  footman  six  or  seven ;  galopine  and 
chambermaid  five  or  six ;  a  gardener  from  twelve 
to  fifteen.  Sewing-girls  have  about  three  reals  per 
diem.  Porter,  coachman  and  gardener  have  their 
wives  and  families  in  the  house,  which  would  be  an 
annoyance,  were  the  houses  not  so  large.  The  men- 
servants  generally  are  much  cleaner  and  better 
dressed  than  the  women. 

One  circumstance  is  remarkable  ;  that,  dirty  as  the 
women-servants  are,  and  notwithstanding  the  enor¬ 
mous  size  of  Mexican  houses  and  Mexican  families, 
the  houses  themselves  are,  generally  speaking,  the 
perfection  of  cleanliness.  This  must  be  due  either 
to  a  good  housekeeper,  which  is  rarely  to  be  found, 
or  to  the  care  taken  by  the  mistress  of  the  house 
herself.  That  private  houses  should  have  this  advan¬ 
tage  over  churches  and  theatres,  only  proves  that 
ladies  know  how  to  manage  these  matters  better  than 
gentlemen,  so  that  one  is  inclined  to  wish  a  la  Mar- 
tineau,  that  the  Mexican  police  were  entirely  com¬ 
posed  of  old  women. 

12 th. — I  have  formed  an  acquaintance  with  a 
very  amiable  and  agreeable  nun  in  the  convent  of  the 
Santa  Teresa,  one  of  the  strictest  orders.  I  have 
only  seen  her  twice,  through  a  grating.  She  is  a 
handsome  woman  of  good  family,  and  it  is  said  of  a 
remarkably  joyous  disposition  ;  fond  of  music  and 
dancing,  and  gay  society,  yet  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
contrary  to  the  wishes  of  all  her  family,  she  took  the 
veil,  and  declares  she  has  never  repented  of  it.  Al¬ 
though  I  cannot  see  her,  I  can  hear  her  voice,  and  talk 


MOTIVES  FOR  TAKING  THE  VEIL. 


291 


to  her  through  a  turning  wooden  screen,  which  has  a 
very  mysterious  effect.  She  gives  me  an  account  of 
her  occupations  and  of  the  little  events  that  take 
place  in  her  small  world  within ;  whilst  I  bring  her 
news  from  the  world  without.  The  common  people 
have  the  greatest  veneration  for  the  holy  sisterhood, 
and  I  generally  find  there  a  number  of  women  with 
baskets,  and  men  carrying  parcels  or  letters ;  some 
asking  their  advice  or  assistance,  others  executing 
their  commissions,  bringing  them  vegetables  or  bread, 
and  listening  to  the  sound  of  their  voice  with  the 

most  eager  attention.  My  friend,  the  Madre - , 

has  promised  to  dress  a  number  of  wax  figures  for 
me,  in  the  exact  costume  of  all  the  different  nuns  in 
Mexico,  beginning  with  that  of  her  own  convent. 

I  have  now  seen  three  nuns  take  the  veil ;  and, 
next  to  a  death,  consider  it  the  saddest  event  that 
can  occur  in  this  nether  sphere ;  yet  the  frequency 
of  these  human  sacrifices  here  is  not  so  strange  as 
might  at  first  appear.  A  young  girl,  who  knows  no¬ 
thing  of  the  world,  who,  as  it  too  frequently  happens, 
has  at  home  neither  amusement  nor  instruction,  and 
no  society  abroad,  who  from  childhood  is  under  the 
dominion  of  her  confessor,  and  who  firmly  believes 
that  by  entering  a  convent  she  becomes  sure  of  hea¬ 
ven  ;  who  moreover  finds  there  a  number  of  com¬ 
panions  of  her  own  age,  and  of  older  women  who 
load  her  with  praises  and  caresses  — it  is  not,  after 
all,  astonishing  that  she  should  consent  to  insure  her 
salvation  on  such  easy  terms. 

Add  to  this  the  splendor  of  the  ceremony,  of  which 
she  is  the  sole  object ;  the  cynosure  of  all  approving 


292 


MONKS  AND  NUNS. 


eyes.  A  girl  of  sixteen  finds  it  hard  to  resist  all  this. 
I  am  told  that  more  girls  are  smitten  by  the  ceremo¬ 
ny,  than  by  anything  else,  and  am  inclined  to  believe 
it,  from  the  remarks  I  have  heard  made  on  these  oc¬ 
casions  by  young  girls  in  my  vicinity.  What  does 
she  lose  ?  A  husband  and  children  ?  Probably  she 
has  seen  no  one  who  has  touched  her  heart.  Most 
probably  she  has  hitherto  seen  no  men,  or  at  least 
conversed  with  none  but  her  brothers,  her  uncles,  or 
her  confessor.  She  has  perhaps  also  felt  the  troubles 
of  a  Mexican  menage.  The  society  of  men  ?  She 
will  still  see  her  confessor,  and  she  will  have  occa¬ 
sional  visits  from  reverend  padres  and  right  reverend 
bishops. 

Some  of  these  convents  are  not  entirely  free  from 
scandal.  Amongst  the  monks,  there  are  many  who 
are  openly  a  disgrace  to  their  calling,  though  I  firmly 
believe  that  by  far  the  greater  number  lead  a  life  of 
privation  and  virtue.  Their  conduct  can,  to  a  cer¬ 
tain  extent,  be  judged  of  by  the  world  ;  but  the  pale 
nuns,  devout  and  pure,  immured  in  the  cloister  for 
life,  kneeling  before  the  shrine,  or  chanting  hymns  in 
the  silence  of  the  night,  a  veil  both  truly  and  alle¬ 
gorically  must  shade  their  virtues  or  their  failings. 
The  nuns  of  the  Santa  Teresa  and  of  other  strict 
orders,  who  live  sparingly,  profess  the  most  severe 
rules,  and  have  no  servants  or  boarders,  enjoy  a  uni¬ 
versal  reputation  for  virtue  and  sanctity.  They  con¬ 
sider  the  other  convents  worldly,  and  their  motto  is, 
“  All  or  nothing  ;  the  world  or  the  cloister.”  Each  ab¬ 
bess  adds  a  stricter  rule,  a  severer  penance  than  her 
predecessor,  and  in  this  they  glory.  My  friend  the 


SEVERE  JUDGMENTS. 


293 


Madre - frequently  says — “Were  I  to  be  born 

again,  I  should  choose,  above  every  lot  in  life,  to 
be  a  nun  of  the  Santa  Teresa,  but  of  no  other  con¬ 
vent.”  .... 

It  is  strange  how,  all  the  world  over,  makind  seems 
to  expect  from  those  who  assume  religion  as  a  profes¬ 
sion,  a  degree  of  superhuman  perfection.  Their  fail¬ 
ings  are  insisted  upon.  Every  eye  is  upon  them  to 
mark  whatsoever  may  be  amiss  in  their  conduct. 
Their  virtues,  their  learning,  their  holy  lives  —  no¬ 
thing  will  avail  them,  if  one  blot  can  be  discovered 
in  their  character.  There  must  be  no  moral  blemish 
in  the  priesthood.  In  the  Catholic  religion,  where 
more  is  professed,  still  more  is  demanded,  and  the 
errors  of  one  padre  or  one  ecclesiastic  seem  to  throw 
a  shade  over  the  whole  community  to  which  they 
belong. 


LETTER  THE  TWENTIETH. 


The  convent-entry  —  Dialogue  —  A  chair  in  church  —  Arrival  of 
the  nun  —  Dress  —  Jose  Maria  —  Crowd  —  Withdrawal  of  the 
black  curtain  —  The  taking  of  the  veil  —  The  sermon  —  A 
dead  body  —  Another  victim  —  Convent  of  the  Encarnacion  — 
Attempt  at  a  hymn  —  Invitation  —  Morning  visit  —  The  nun 
and  her  mother  —  Banquet  —  Taking  leave  —  Ceremony  of  the 
veil-taking  —  A  beautiful  victim  —  The  last  look — Presenta¬ 
tion  to  the  bishop  —  Reflections  —  Verses. 


4th  June. 

Some  days  ago,  having  received  a  message  from  my  7iun, 
that  a  girl  was  about  to  take  the  veil  in  her  convent, 
I  went  there  about  six  o’clock,  and  knowing  that  the 
church  on  these  occasions  is  apt  to  be  crowded  to 
suffocation,  I  proceeded  to  the  reja,  and  speaking 
to  an  invisible  within,  requested  to  know  in  what 
part  of  the  church  I  could  have  a  place.  Upon 
which  a  voice  replied  — 

“  Hermanita,  (my  sister)  I  am  rejoiced  te  see  you. 
You  shall  have  a  place  beside  the  godmother.” 

“Many  thanks,  Hermanita.  Which  way  shall  I 
go?  ” 

Voice.  “  You  shall  go  through  the  sacristy.  Jose 
Maria  !  ” 

Jose  Maria,  a  thin,  pale,  lank  individual,  with  hol¬ 
low  cheeks,  who  was  standing  near  like  a  page  in 
waiting,  sprang  forward  —  “  Madrecita,  I  am  here  !  ” 


DIALOGUE. 


295 


Voice.  “  Jose  Maria  —  That  lady  is  the  Sehore 

de  C - n.  You  will  conduct  her  excellency  to  the 

front  of  the  grating,  and  give  her  a  chair.” 

After  I  had  thanked  the  voice  for  her  kindness  in 
attending  to  me  on  a  day  when  she  was  so  much  oc¬ 
cupied  with  other  affairs,  the  obsequious  Jose  Maria 
led  the  way,  and  I  followed  him  through  the  sacristy 
into  the  church,  where  there  were  already  a  few 
kneeling  figures  ;  and  thence  into  the  railed-off  en¬ 
closure  destined  for  the  relatives  of  the  future  nun, 
where  I  was  permitted  to  sit  down  in  a  comfortable 
velvet  chair.  I  had  been  there  but  a  little  while 
when  the  aforesaid  Jose  Maria  reappeared,  picking 
his  steps  as  if  he  were  walking  upon  eggs  in  a  sick 
room.  He  brought  me  a  message  from  the  Madre 
— — — ,  that  the  nun  had  arrived,  and  that  the  ma- 
drecita  wished  to  know  if  I  should  like  to  give  her 
an  embrace,  before  the  ceremony  began.  I  there¬ 
fore  followed  my  guide  back  into  the  sacristy,  where 
the  future  nun  was  seated  beside  her  godmother,  and 
in  the  midst  of  her  friends  and  relations,  about  thirty 
in  all. 

She  was  arrayed  in  pale  blue  satin,  with  diamonds, 
pearls  and  a  crown  of  flowers.  She  was  literally 
smothered  in  blonde  and  jewels  ;  and  her  face  was 
flushed,  as  well  it  might  be,  for  she  had  passed  the 
day  in  taking  leave  of  her  friends  at  a  fete  they  had 
given  her  ;  and  had  then,  according  to  custom,  been 
paraded  through  the  town  in  all  her  finery.  And  now, 
her  last  hour  was  at  hand.  When  I  came  in,  she 
rose  and  embraced  me  with  as  much  cordiality  as  if 
we  had  known  each  other  for  years.  Beside  her  sat 


296 


POINT  OF  HONOR. 


the  Madrina,  also  in  white  satin  and  jewels  ;  all  the 
relations  being  likewise  decked  out  in  their  finest 
array.  The  nun  kept  laughing  every  now  and  then, 
in  the  most  unnatural  and  hysterical  manner,  as  I 
thought,  apparently  to  impress  us  with  the  conviction 
of  her  perfect  happiness  ;  for  it  is  a  great  point  of 
honor,  amongst  girls  similarly  situated,  to  look  as 
cheerful  and  gay  as  possible  ;  —  the  same  feeling, 
though  in  a  different  degree,  which  induces  the  gal¬ 
lant  highwayman  to  jest  in  the  presence  of  the  mul¬ 
titude,  when  the  hangman’s  cord  is  within  an  inch  of 
his  neck  ;  the  same  which  makes  a  gallant  general, 
whose  life  is  forfeited,  command  his  men  to  fire  on 
him  ;  the  same  which  makes  the  Hindoo  widow  mount 
the  funeral  pile  without  a  tear  in  her  eye,  or  a  sigh 
on  her  lips.  If  the  robber  were  to  be  strangled  in  a 
corner  of  his  dungeon  ;  if  the  general  were  to  be  put 
to  death  privately  in  his  own  apartment ;  if  the  widow 
were  to  be  burnt  quietly  on  her  own  hearth  ;  if  the 
nun  were  to  be  secretly  smuggled  in  at  the  convent 
gate  like  a  bale  of  contraband  goods,  —  we  might  hear 
another  tale.  This  girl  was  very  young,  but  by  no 
means  pretty  ;  on  the  contrary,  rather  disgracice  par 
la  nature  ;  and  perhaps  a  knowledge  of  her  own 
want  of  attractions  may  have  caused  the  world  to 
have  few  charms  for  her. 

But  Jose  Maria  cut  short  my  train  of  reflections, 
by  requesting  me  to  return  to  my  seat  before  the  crowd 
arrived,  which  I  did  forthwith.  Shortly  after,  the 
church  doors  were  thrown  open,  and  a  crowd  burst 
in,  every  one  struggling  to  obtain  the  best  seat.  Musi¬ 
cians  entered,  carrying  desks  and  music-books,  and 


THE  CEREMONY. 


297 


placed  themselves  in  two  rows,  on  either  side  of  the 
enclosure  where  I  was.  Then  the  organ  struck  up 
its  solemn  psalmody,  and  was  followed  by  the  gay 
music  of  the  band.  Rockets  were  let  off  outside 
the  church,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  Madrina  and 
all  the  relations  entered,  and  knelt  down  in  front  of 
the  grating  which  looks  into  the  convent,  but  before 
which  hung  a  dismal  black  curtain.  I  left  my  chair, 
and  knelt  down  beside  the  godmother. 

Suddenly,  the  curtain  was  withdrawn,  and  the  pic¬ 
turesque  beauty  of  the  scene  within,  baffles  all  descrip¬ 
tion.  Beside  the  altar,  which  was  in  a  blaze  of  light, 
was  a  perfect  mass  of  crimson  and  gold  drapery  ;  the 
walls,  the  antique  chairs,  the  table  before  which  the 
priests  sat,  all  hung  with  the  same  splendid  material. 
The  Bishop  wore  his  superb  mitre  and  robes  of  crim¬ 
son  and  gold  ;  the  attendant  priests  also  glittering  in 
crimson  and  gold  embroidery. 

In  contrast  to  these,  five-and-twenty  figures,  en¬ 
tirely-robed  in  black  from  head  to  foot,  were  ranged 
on  each  side  of  the  room,  prostrate,  their  faces  touch¬ 
ing  the  ground  ;  and  in  their  hands  immense  lighted 
tapers.  On  the  foreground  was  spread  a  purple 
carpet,  bordered  round  with  a  garland  of  freshly 
gathered  flowers,  roses  and  carnations  and  heliotrope, 
the  only  things  that  looked  real  and  living  in  the 
whole  scene ;  and  in  the  middle  of  this  knelt  the 
novice,  still  arrayed  in  her  blue  satin,  white  lacd  veil 
and  jewels  ;  and  also  with  a  great  lighted  taper  in 
her  hand. 

The  black  nuns  then  rose,  and  sang  a  hymn,  every 
now  and  then  falling  on  their  faces,  and  touching  the 


298 


THE  SERMON. 


floor  with  their  foreheads.  The  whole  looked  like 
an  incantation,  or  a  scene  in  Robert  le  Diable.  The 
novice  was  then  raised  from  the  ground,  and  led  to 
the  feet  of  the  Bishop,  who  examined  her  as  to  her 
vocation,  and  gave  her  his  blessing  ;  and  once  more 
the  black  curtain  fell  between  us  and  them. 

In  the  second  act ,  she  was  lying  prostrate  on  the 
floor,  disrobed  of  her  profane  dress,  and  covered  over 
with  a  black  cloth,  while  the  black  figures  kneeling 
round  her,  chanted  a  hymn.  She  was  now  dead  to 
the  world.  The  sunbeams  had  faded  away,  as  if 
they  would  not  look  upon  the  scene,  and  all  the  light 
was  concentrated  in  one  great  mass  upon  the  con¬ 
vent  group. 

Again  she  was  raised.  All  the  blood  had  rushed 
into  her  face,  and  her  attempt  at  a  smile  was  truly 
painful.  She  then  knelt  before  the  Bishop,  and  re¬ 
ceived  the  benediction,  with  the  sign  of  the  cross, 
from  a  white  hand  with  the  pastoral  ring.  She  then 
went  round  alone  to  embrace  all  the  dark  phantoms 
as  they  stood  motionless  ;  and  as  each  dark  shadow 
clasped  her  in  its  arms,  it  seemed  like  the  dead  wel¬ 
coming  a  new  arrival  to  the  shades. 

But  I  forget  the  sermon,  which  was  delivered  by  a 
fat  priest,  who  elbowed  his  way  with  some  difficulty 
through  the  crowd  to  the  grating,  panting  and  in  a 
prodigious  heat,  and  ensconced  himself  in  a  great 
arm-chair,  close  beside  us.  He  assured  her  that  she 
“  had  chosen  the  good  part,  which  could  not  be  taken 
away  from  her that  she  was  now  one  of  the  elect, 
“  chosen  from  amongst  the  wickedness  and  dangers 
of  the  world  —  (picked  out  like  a  plum  from  a  pie.) 


THE  BLACK  CURTAIN. 


299 


He  mentioned  with  pity  and  contempt  those  who 
were  “  yet  struggling  in  the  great  Babylon and 
compared  their  miserable  fate  with  hers,  the  Bride 
of  Christ,  who,  after  suffering  a  few  privations  here 
during  a  short  term  of  years,  should  be  received  at 
once  into  a  kingdom  of  glory.  The  whole  discourse 
was  well  calculated  to  rally  her  fainting  spirits,  if 
fainting  they  were,  and  to  inspire  us  with  a  great 
disgust  for  ourselves. 

When  the  sermon  was  concluded,  the  music  again 
struck  up  —  the  heroine  of  the  day  came  forward, 
and  stood  before  the  grating,  to  take  her  last  look  of 
this  wicked  world.  Down  fell  the  black  curtain. 
Up  rose  the  relations,  and  I  accompanied  them  into 
the  sacristy.  Here  they  coolly  lighted  their  cigars, 
and  very  philosophically  discoursed  upon  the  exceed¬ 
ing  good  fortune  of  the  new-made  nun,  and  on  her 
evident  delight  and  satisfaction  with  her  own  situa¬ 
tion.  As  we  did  not  follow  her  behind  the  scenes,  I 
could  not  give  my  opinion  on  this  point.  Shortly 
after,  one  of  the  gentlemen  civilly  led  me  to  my  car¬ 
riage,  and  so  it  was. 

As  we  were  returning  home,  some  soldiers  rode  up 
and  stopped  the  carriage,  desiring  the  coachman  to 
take  the  other  side  of  the  aqueduct,  to  avoid  the 
body  of  a  man,  who  had  just  been  murdered  within  a 
few  doors  of  our  house. 

In  the  Convent  of  the  Incarnation,  I  saw  another 
girl  sacrificed  in  a  similar  manner.  She  was  received 
there  without  a  dowry,  on  account  of  the  exceeding 
fineness  of  her  voice.  She  little  thought  what  a  fatal 
gift  it  would  prove  to  her.  The  most  cruel  part  of 


300 


ANOTHER  VICTIM. 


all  was,  that  wishing  to  display  her  fine  voice  to  the 
public,  they  made  her  sing  a  hymn  alone,  on  her 
knees,  her  arms  extended  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  be¬ 
fore  all  the  immense  crowd ;  “  Ancilla  Cristi  Sum,” 
“  The  Bride  of  Christ  I  am.”  She  was  a  good-look¬ 
ing  girl,  fat  and  comely,  who  would  probably  have 
led  a  comfortable  life  in  the  world,  for  which  she 
seemed  well  fitted  ;  most  likely  without  one  touch  of 
romance  or  enthusiasm  in  her  composition  ;  but  hav¬ 
ing  the  unfortunate  honor  of  being  niece  to  two 
chanoines,  she  was  thus  honorably  provided  for 
without  expense,  in  her  nineteenth  year.  As  might 
be  expected,  her  voice  faltered,  and  instead  of  sing¬ 
ing,  she  seemed  inclined  to  cry  out.  Each  note 
came  slowly,  heavily,  tremblingly  ;  and  at  last  she 
nearly  fell  forward  exhausted,  when  two  of  the  sisters 
caught  and  supported  her. 

I  had  almost  made  up  my  mind  to  see  no  more 
such  scenes,  which,  unlike  pulque  and  bull-fights,  I 
dislike  more  and  more  upon  trial  ;  when  we  received 
an  invitation,  which  it  was  not  easy  to  refuse,  but 
was  the  more  painful  to  accept,  being  acquainted, 
though  slightly,  with  the  victim.  I  send  you  the 
printed  note  of  invitation. 

“  On  Wednesday,  the - of  this  month,  at  six 

o’clock  in  the  evening,  my  daughter,  Doha  Maria  de 

la  Concepcion,  P - c - ,  will  assume  the  habit 

of  a  Nun  of  the  choir  and  the  black  veil  in  the  Con¬ 
vent  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Incarnation.  I  have  the 
honor  to  inform  you  of  tins,  entreating  you  to  co¬ 
operate  with  your  presence,  in  the  solemnity  of  this 


A  FAMILY  PARTY. 


301 


act,  a  favor  which  will  be  highly  esteemed  by  your 
affectionate  servant,  who  kisses  your  hand. 

“Maria  Josefa  be - . 

Mexico,  June - ,  1840.” 

Having  gone  out  in  the  carriage  to  pay  some  visits, 
I  suddenly  recollected  that  it  was  the  very  morning  of 
the  day  in  which  this  young  girl  was  to  take  the  veil, 
and  also  that  it  was  necessary  to  inquire  where  I  was 
to  be  placed  ;  for  as  to  entering  the  church  with  the 
crowd  on  one  of  these  occasions,  it  is  out  of  the 
question  ;  particularly  when  the  girl  being,  as  in  the 
present  case,  of  distinguished  family,  the  ceremony 
is  expected  to  be  peculiarly  magnificent.  I  accord¬ 
ingly  called  at  the  house,  was  shown  up  stairs,  and 
to  my  horror,  found  myself  in  the  midst  of  a  “goodlie 
companie,”  in  rich  array,  consisting  of  the  relations  of 
the  family,  to  the  number  of  about  a  hundred  per¬ 
sons  ;  the  Bishop  himself  in  his  purple  robes  and 
amethysts,  a  number  of  priests,  the  father  of  the 
young  lady  in  his  general’s  uniform  ;  she  herself  in 
purple  velvet,  with  diamonds  and  pearls,  and  a  crown 
of  flowers  ;  the  corsage  of  her  gown  entirely  covered 
with  little  bows  of  ribbon  of  divers  colors,  which 
her  friends  had  given  her ;  each  adding  one,  like 
stones  thrown  on  a  cairn  in  memory  of  the  departed. 
She  had  also  short  sleeves  and  white  satin  shoes. 

Being  very  handsome,  with  fine  black  eyes,  good 
teeth  and  fresh  color,  and  above  all  with  the  beauty 
of  youth,  for  she  is  but  eighteen,  she  was  not  dis¬ 
figured  even  by  this  overloaded  dress.  Her  mother, 
on  the  contrary,  who  was  to  act  the  part  of  Madrina, 
who  wore  a  dress  fac-simile,  and  who  was  pale  and 
26 


VOL.  I. 


302 


A  FAMILY  FEAST. 


sad,  her  eyes  almost  extinguished  with  weeping, 
looked  like  a  picture  of  misery  in  a  ball-dress.  In 
the  adjoining  room,  long  tables  were  laid  out,  on 
which  servants  were  placing  refreshments  for  the 
fete  about  to  be  given  on  this  joyous  occasion.  I 
felt  somewhat  shocked,  and  inclined  to  say  with  Paul 
Pry,  “  Hope  I  don’t  intrude.”  But  my  apologies 
were  instantly  cut  short,  and  I  was  welcomed  with 
true  Mexican  hospitality  ;  repeatedly  thanked  for  my 
kindness  in  coming  to  see  the  nun,  and  hospitably 
pressed  to  join  the  family  feast.  I  only  got  off  upon 
a  promise  of  returning  at  half  past  five  to  accompany 
them  to  the  ceremony,  which,  in  fact,  I  greatly  pre¬ 
ferred  to  going  there  alone. 

I  arrived  at  the  hour  appointed,  and  being  led  up 

stairs  by  the  Senator  Don  -  - ,  found  the 

morning  party,  with  many  additions,  lingering  over 
the  dessert.  There  was  some  gaiety,  but  evidently 
forced.  It  reminded  me  of  a  marriage-feast  previous 
to  the  departure  of  the  bride,  who  is  about  to  be  sep¬ 
arated  from  her  family  for  the  first  time.  Yet  how 
different  in  fact  this  banquet,  where  the  mother  and 
daughter  met  together  for  the  last  time  on  earth  ! 

At  stated  periods,  indeed,  the  mother  may  hear 
her  daughter’s  voice  speaking  to  her  as  from  the 
depths  of  the  tomb  ;  but  she  may  never  more  fold 
her  in  her  arms,  never  more  share  in  her  joys  or  in 
her  sorrows,  or  nurse  her  in  sickness  ;  and  when  her 
own  last  hour  arrives,  though  but  a  few  streets  divide 
them,  she  may  not  give  her  dying  blessing  to  the 
child  who  has  been  for  so  many  years  the  pride  of 
her  eyes  and  heart. 


FAMILY  LOVE. 


303 


I  have  seen  no  country  where  families  are  so  knit 
together  as  in  Mexico,  where  the  affections  are  so 
concentrated,  or  where  such  devoted  respect  and 
obedience  are  shown  by  the  married  sons  and  daugh¬ 
ters  to  their  parents.  In  that  respect  they  always 
remain  as  little  children.  I  know  many  families,  of 
which  the  married  branches  continue  to  live  in  their 
father’s  house,  forming  a  sort  of  small  colony,  and 
living  in  the  most  perfect  harmony.  They  cannot 
bear  the  idea  of  being  separated,  and  nothing  but 
dire  necessity  ever  forces  them  to  leave  their  father- 
land.  To  all  the  accounts  which  travellers  give 
them  of  the  pleasures  to  be  met  with  in  European 
capitals,  they  turn  a  deaf  ear.  Their  families  are  in 
Mexico  — -  their  parents,  and  sisters,  and  relatives  — 
and  there  is  no  happiness  for  them  elsewhere.  The 
greater  therefore  is  the  sacrifice  which  those  parents 
make,  who  from  religious  motives  devote  their  daugh¬ 
ters  to  a  conventual  life. 

-  however,  was  furious  at  the  whole  affair, 

which  he  said  was  entirely  against  the  mother’s  con¬ 
sent,  though  that  of  the  father  had  been  obtained ; 
and  pointed  out  to  me  the  confessor  whose  influence 
had  brought  it  about.  The  girl  herself  was  now 
very  pale,  but  evidently  resolved  to  conceal  her  agi¬ 
tation,  and  the  mother  seemed  as  if  she  could  shed 
no  more  tears  —  quite  exhausted  with  weeping.  As 
the  hour  for  the  ceremony  drew  near,  the  whole  party 
became  more  grave  and  sad,  all  but  the  priests,  who 
were  smiling  and  talking  together  in  groups.  The 
girl  was  not  still  a  moment.  She  kept  walking 
hastily  through  the  house,  taking  leave  of  the  ser- 


304 


A  LAST  LOOK. 


vants,  and  naming  probably  her  last  wishes  about 
everything.  She  was  followed  by  her  younger  sisters, 
all  in  tears. 

But  it  struck  six,  and  the  priests  intimated  that  it 
was  time  to  move.  She  and  her  mother  went  down 
stairs  alone,  and  entered  the  carriage  which  was  to 
drive  them  through  all  the  principal  streets,  to  show 
the  nun  to  the  public  according  to  custom,  and  to  let 
them  take  their  last  look,  they  of  her,  and  she  of 
them.  As  they  got  in,  we  all  crowded  to  the  balco¬ 
nies  to  see  her  take  leave  of  her  house,  her  aunts 
saying,  “Yes  child,  despidete  de  tu  casa,  take  leave 
of  your  house,  for  you  will  never  see  it  again  !  ” 
Then  came  sobs  from  the  sisters,  and  many  of  the 
gentlemen,  ashamed  of  their  emotion,  hastily  quitted 
the  room.  I  hope,  for  the  sake  of  humanity,  I  did 
not  rightly  interpret  the  look  of  constrained  anguish 
which  the  poor  girl  threw  from  the  window  of  the 
carriage  at  the  home  of  her  childhood. 

They  drove  off,  and  the  relations  prepared  to  walk 
in  procession  to  the  church.  I  walked  with  the 

Count  S - o  ;  the  others  followed  in  pairs.  The 

church  was  very  brilliantly  illuminated,  and  as  we 
entered,  the  band  was  playing  one  of  Strauss's 
waltzes  !  The  crowd  was  so  tremendous  that  we 
were  nearly  squeezed  to  a  jelly  in  getting  to  our 
places.  I  was  carried  off  my  feet  between  two  fat 
Sehoras  in  mantillas  and  shaking  diamond  pendants, 
exactly  as  if  I  had  been  packed  between  two  mova¬ 
ble  feather  beds. 

They  gave  me,  however,  an  excellent  place,  quite 
close  to  the  grating,  beside  the  Countess  de  S - o, 


THE  CEREMONY. 


305 


that  is  to  say,  a  place  to  kneel  on.  A  great  bustle 
and  much  preparation  seemed  to  be  going  on  within 
the  convent,  and  veiled  figures  were  flitting  about, 
whispering,  arranging,  &c.  Sometimes,  a  skinny 
old  dame  would  come  close  to  the  grating,  and  lift¬ 
ing  up  her  veil,  bestow  upon  the  pensive  public  a 
generous  view  of  a  very  haughty  and  very  wrinkled 
visage  of  some  seventy  years  standing,  and  beckon 
into  the  church  for  the  major-domo  of  the  convent, 
(an  excellent  and  profitable  situation  by  the  way,)  or 
for  padre  this  or  that.  Some  of  the  holy  ladies  re¬ 
cognised  and  spoke  to  me  through  the  grating. 

But,  at  the  discharge  of  fireworks  outside  the 
church,  the  curtain  was  dropped,  for  this  was  the 
signal  that  the  nun  and  her  mother  had  arrived.  An 
opening  was  made  in  the  crowd  as  they  passed  into 
the  church,  and  the  girl,  kneeling  down,  was  ques¬ 
tioned  by  the  Bishop,  but  I  could  not  make  out  the 
dialogue,  which  was  carried  on  in  a  low  voice.  She 
then  passed  into  the  convent  by  a  side  door,  and  her 
mother,  quite  exhausted  and  nearly  in  hysterics,  was 
supported  through  the  crowd  to  a  place  beside  us,  in 
front  of  the  grating.  The  music  struck  up  ;  the  cur¬ 
tain  was  again  drawn  aside.  The  scene  was  as 
striking  here  as  in  the  convent  of  the  Santa  Teresa, 
but  not  so  lugubrious.  The  nuns,  all  ranged  around 
and  carrying  lighted  tapers  in  their  hands,  were 
dressed  in  mantles  of  bright  blue,  with  a  gold  plate 
on  the  left  shoulder.  Their  faces,  however,  were 
covered  with  deep  black  veils.  The  girl,  kneeling  in 
front,  and  also  bearing  a  heavy  lighted  taper,  looked 
beautiful,  with  her  dark  hair  and  rich  dress,  and  the 
26* 


306 


THE  CEREMONY. 


long  black  lashes  resting  on  her  glowing  face.  The 
churchmen  near  the  illuminated  and  magnificently- 
decked  altar,  formed  as  usual  a  brilliant  back  ground 
to  the  picture.  The  ceremony  was  the  same  as  on 
the  former  occasion,  but  there  was  no  sermon. 

The  most  terrible  thing  to  witness  was  the  last, 
straining,  anxious  look  which  the  mother  gave  her 
daughter  through  the  grating.  She  had  seen  her 
child  pressed  to  the  arms  of  strangers,  and  welcomed 
to  her  new  home.  She  was  no  longer  hers.  All 
the  sweet  ties  of  nature  had  been  rudely  severed, 
and  she  had  been  forced  to  consign  her,  in  the  very 
bloom  of  youth  and  beauty,  at  the  very  age  in  which 
she  most  required  a  mother’s  care,  and  when  she  had 
but  just  fulfilled  the  promise  of  her  childhood,  to  a 
living  tomb.  Still,  as  long  as  the  curtain  had  not 
fallen,  she  could  gaze  upon  her,  as  upon  one  on 
whom,  though  dead,  the  coffin-lid  is  not  yet  closed. 

But  while  the  new-made  nun  was  in  a  blaze  of 
light,  and  distinct  on  the  foreground,  so  that  we  could 
mark  each  varying  expression  of  her  face,  the  crowd 
in  the  church,  and  the  comparative  faintness  of  the 
light,  probably  made  it  difficult  for  her  to  distinguish 
her  mother ;  for,  knowing  that  the  end  was  at  hand, 
she  looked  anxiously  and  hurriedly  into  the  church, 
without  seeming  able  to  fix  her  eyes  on  any  particu¬ 
lar  object ;  while  her  mother  seemed  as  if  her  eyes 
were  glazed,  so  intently  were  they  fixed  upon  her 
daughter. 

Suddenly,  and  without  any  preparation,  down  fell 
the  black  curtain  like  a  pall,  and  the  sobs  and  tears 
of  the  family  broke  forth.  One  beautiful  little  child 


THE  BISHOP. 


307 


was  carried  out  almost  in  fits.  Water  was  brought 
to  the  poor  mother  ;  and  at  last,  making  our  way 
with  difficulty  through  the  dense  crowd,  we  got  into 
the  sacristy.  “  I  declare,”  said  the  Countess  — — 
to  me,  wiping  her  eyes,  “  it  is  worse  than  a  mar¬ 
riage  !  ”  I  expressed  my  horror  at  the  sacrifice  of  a 
girl  so  young  that  she  could  not  possibly  have  known 
her  own  mind.  Almost  all  the  ladies  agreed  with 
me,  especially  all  who  had  daughters,  but  many  of 
the  old  gentlemen  were  of  a  different  opinion.  The 
young  mew  were  decidedly  of  my  way  of  thinking, 
but  many  jroung  girls,  who  were  conversing  together, 
seemed  rather  to  envy  their  friend,  who  had  looked 
so  pretty  and  graceful,  and  “  so  happy,”  and  whose 
dress  “  suited  her  so  well ;”  and  to  have  no  objec¬ 
tion  to  “  go,  and  do  likewise.” 

I  had  the  honor  of  a  presentation  to  the  Bishop,  a 
fat  and  portly  prelate,  with  good  manners,  and  well 
besuiting  his  priestly  garments.  I  amused  myself, 
while  we  waited  for  the  carriages,  by  looking  over  a 
pamphlet  which  lay  on  the  table,  containing  the  cere¬ 
monial  of  the  veil-taking.  When  we  rose  to  go,  all 
the  ladies  of  the  highest  rank  devoutly  kissed  the 
Bishop’s  hand,  and  I  went  home,  thinking  by  what 
law  of  God  a  child  can  thus  be  dragged  from  the 
mother  who  bore  and  bred  her,  and  immured  in  a 
cloister  for  life,  amongst  strangers,  to  whom  she  has 
no  tie,  and  towards  whom  she  owes  no  duty.  That 
a  convent  may  be  a  blessed  shelter  from  the  calami¬ 
ties  of  life,  a  haven  for  the  unprotected,  a  resting- 
place  for  the  weary,  a  safe  and  holy  asylum,  where 
a  new  family  and  kind  friends  await  those  whose 


308 


VERSES. 


natural  ties  are  broken  and  whose  early  friends  are 
gone,  I  am  willing  to  admit ;  but  it  is  not  in  the 
flower  of  youth,  that  the  warm  heart  should  be  con¬ 
signed  to  the  cold  cloister.  Let  the  young  take  their 
chance  of  sunshine  or  of  storm.  The  calm  and 
shady  retreat  is  for  helpless  and  unprotected  old  age. 

- ,  to  whom  I  described  one  of  these  ceremo¬ 
nies,  wrote  some  verses,  suggested  by  my  account  of 
them,  which  I  send  you. 


In  Tropic  gorgeousness,  the  Lord  of  Day 
T o  the  bright  chambers  of  the  west  retired, 

And  with  the  glory  of  his  parting  ray, 

The  hundred  domes  of  Mexico  he  fired, 

When  I,  with  vague  and  solemn  awe  inspired, 

Entered  the  Incarnation’s  sacred  fane. 

The  vaulted  roof,  the  dim  aisle  far  retired. 

Echoed  the  deep-toned  organ’s  holy  strain 

Which  through  the  incensed  air  did  mournfully  complain. 

The  veiling  curtain  suddenly  withdrew, 

Op’ning  a  glorious  altar  to  the  sight, 

Where  crimson  intermixed  its  regal  hue 

With  gold  and  jewels  that  outblazed  the  light 
Of  the  huge  tapers  near  them  flaming  bright 

From  golden  stands  ;  — the  Bishop,  mitre-crowned 
Stood  stately  near  ;  —  in  order  due  around 

The  Sisterhood  knelt  down,  their  brows  upon  the  ground. 


The  Novice  entered :  To  her  doom  she  went 
Gems  on  her  robes,  and  flowers  upon  her  brow. 
Virgin  of  tender  years,  poor  innocent ; 

Pause  —  ere  thou  speak  th’  irrevocable  vow. 

What  if  thy  heart  should  change,  thy  spirit  fail  ? 

She  kneels.  The  blaclc-robed  sisters  cease  to  bow. 
They  raise  a  hymn  which  seems  a  funeral  wail, 
While  o’er  the  pageant  falls  the  dark,  lugubrious  veil. 


VERSES. 


309 


Again  the  veil  up.  On  earth  she  lies  — 

With  the  drear  mantle  of  the  pall  spread  o’er, 

The  new-made  nun,  the  living  sacrifice, 

Dead  to  this  world  of  our’s  for  evermore  ! 

The  sun  his  parting  rays  has  ceased  to  pour, 

As  loth  to  lend  liis  light  to  such  a  scene  .  .  . 

The  Sisters  raise  her  from  the  sacred  floor, 
Supporting  her  their  holy  arms  between, 

The  mitred  priest  stands  up  with  patriarchal  mien, 


And  speaks  the  Benediction  ;  all  is  done. 

A  life-in-death  must  her  long  years  consume. 

She  clasped  her  new-made  sisters  one  by  one. 

As  the  black  shadows  their  embraces  gave, 

They  seemed  like  spectres  from  their  place  of  doom, 
Stealing  from  out  eternal  night’s  blind  cave, 

To  meet  their  comrade  new,  and  hail  her  to  the  grave. 


The  curtain  fell  again,  the  scene  was  o’er, 

The  pageant  gone  —  its  glitter  and  its  pride, 

And  it  would  be  a  pageant  and  no  more, 

But  for  the  maid  miscalled  the  Heavenly  Bride. 

If  I,  an  utter  stranger,  unallied 

To  her  by  slightest  ties,  some  grief  sustain, 

What  feels  the  yearning  mother  from  whose  side 
-Is  torn  the  child  whom  she  hath  reared  in  vain, 

'To  share  her  joys  no  more,  no  more  to  soothe  her  pain  ! 


LETTER  THE  TWENTY-FIRST. 


San  Agustin  —  The  gambling  fete.  —  The  beauties  of  the  village 
—  The  road  from  Mexico  —  Entry  to  San  Agustin  —  The  gam¬ 
bling  houses  —  San  Antonio  —  The  Pedregal — Last  day  of 
the  fete  —  The  Cock-pit  —  The  Boxes  —  The  Cock-fight  —  De¬ 
corum —  Comparisons —  Dinner  —  Ball  at  Calvario  —  House  of 
General  Moran — View  of  the  gambling  tables — The  Advo¬ 
cate  —  Ball  at  the  Plaza  de  Gallos  —  Return  to  Mexico  —  Re¬ 
flections  —  Conversation  between  two  Ministers 

15th  June. 

Since  my  last  letter  we  have  been  at  San  Agustin 
de  las  Cuevas,  which,  when  I  last  saw  it,  was  a  de¬ 
serted  village,  but  which  during  three  days  in  the 
year,  presents  the  appearance  of  a  vast  bee-hive  or 
ant-hill.  San  Agustin  !  At  the  name  how  many 
hearts  throb  with  emotion  !  How  many  hands 
are  mechanically  thrust  into  empty  pockets  !  How 
many  visions  of  long-vanished  golden  ounces  flit  be¬ 
fore  aching  eyes  !  What  faint  crowing  of  wounded 
cocks!  What  tinkling  of  guitars  and  blowing  of 
horns  come  upon  the  ear  !  Some  indeed  there  be, 
who  can  look  round  upon  their  well-stored  hacienda 
and  easy  rolling  carriages,  and  remember  the  day 
when  with  threadbare  coat,  and  stake  of  three  mod¬ 
est  ounces,  they  first  courted  Fortune’s  favors;  and, 
who  being  then  indigent  and  enjoying  an  indifferent 
reputation,  found  themselves,  at  the  conclusion  of  a 
few  successive  San  Agustins,  the  fortunate  propri- 


SAN  AGUSTIN. 


311 


etors  of  gold,  and  land,  and  houses ;  and  moreover 
with  an  unimpeachable  fame  ;  for  he  who  can  fling 
gold  dust  in  his  neighbor’s  eyes,  prevents  him  from 
seeing  too  clearly.  But  these  favorites  of  the  blind 
goddess  are  few  and  far  between,  and  they  have  for 
the  most  part,  with  a  view  to  greater  security,  be¬ 
come  holders  or  sharers  of  banks  at  San  Agustin, 
thus  investing  their  fortune  in  a  secure  fund ;  more 
so  decidedly,  if  we  may  believe  the  newspaper  re¬ 
ports,  than  in  the  Bank  of  the  United  States  at  this 
present  writing. 

Time,  in  its  revolutions,  whirling  all  things  out  of 
their  places,  has  made  no  change  in  the  annual  fete 
of  San  Agustin.  Fashions  alter.  The  graceful 
mantilla  gradually  gives  place  to  the  ungraceful  bon¬ 
net.  The  old  painted  coach,  moving  slowly  like  a 
caravan,  with  Guido’s  Aurora  painted  on  its  gaudy 
panels,  is  dismissed  for  the  London-built  carriage. 
Old  customs  have  passed  away.  The  ladies  no 
longer  sit  on  the  door-sills,  eating  roast  duck  with 
their  fingers,  or  with  the  aid  of  tortillas.  Even  the 
Chinampas  have  become  stationary,  and  have  occa¬ 
sionally  joined  the  Continent.  But  the  annual  fete 
of  San  Agustin  is  built  on  a  more  solid  foundation 
than  taste,  or  custom,  or  floating  soil.  It  is  founded 
upon  that  love  of  gambling,  which  is  said  to  be  a  pas¬ 
sion  inherent  in  our  nature,  and  which  is  certainly 
impregnated  with  the  Mexican  constitution,  in  man, 
woman  and  child.  The  beggars  gamble  at  the  corn¬ 
ers  of  the  streets,  or  under  the  arches  ;  the  little 
boys  gamble  in  groups  in  the  villages  ;  the  coachmen 


312 


THE  THREE  DAYS. 


and  footmen  gamble  at  the  doors  of  the  theatre, 
while  waiting  for  their  masters. 

But  while  their  hand  is  thus  Icept  in  all  the  year 
round,  there  are  three  days  sacredly  set  apart  an¬ 
nually,  in  which  every  accommodation  is  given  to 
those  who  are  bent  upon  ruining  themselves  or  their 
neighbors  ;  whilst  every  zest  that  society  can  afford, 
is  held  out  to  render  the  temptation  more  alluring. 
As  religion  is  called  in  to  sanctify  everything,  right 
or  wrong ;  as  the  robber  will  plant  a  cross  at  the 
mouth  of  his  cave,  and  the  pulque  shops  do  occa¬ 
sionally  call  themselves  “  Pulquerias  of  the  Most 
Holy  Virgin,”  so  this  season  of  gambling  is  fixed  for 
the  fete  of  Pascua,  (Whitsunday)  and  the  churches 
and  the  gambling-houses  are  thrown  open  simulta¬ 
neously. 

The  village  is  in  itself  pretty  and  picturesque; 
and  as  a  stone  at  its  entry  informs  us,  was  built  by 
the  active  Viceroy  Revillagigedo,  with  the  product, 
as - assured  us,  of  two  lotteries.  It  is  charm¬ 

ingly  situated,  in  the  midst  of  handsome  villas  and 
orchards,  whose  high  walls,  overtopped  by  fruit  trees, 
border  the  narrow  lanes.  At  this  season,  the  trees 
are  loaded  with  the  yellow  chabacano  and  the  purple 
plum,  already  ripe  ;  while  the  pear  trees  are  bending 
under  the  weight  of  their  fruit.  The  gardens  are 
full  of  flowers  ;  the  roses  in  their  last  bloom,  covering 
the  ground  with  their  pink  leaves,  and  jasmine  and 
sweet  pease  in  profusion,  making  the  air  fragrant. 
The  rainy  season  has  scarce  set  in,  though  frequent 
showers  have  laid  the  dust,  and  refreshed  the  air. 


PREPARATIONS. 


313 


The  country  villas  are  filled  with  all  that  is  gayest, 
and  most  distinguished  in  Mexico,  and  every  house 
and  every  room  in  the  village  has  been  hired  for 
months  in  advance.  The  ladies  are  in  their  most 
elegant  toilettes,  and  looking  forward  to  a  delightful 
whirl  of  dancing,  cock-fighting,  gambling,  dining, 
dressing,  and  driving  about. 

The  high-road  leading  from  Mexico  to  San  Agus- 
tin  is  covered  with  vehicles  of  every  description  ; 
carriages,  diligences,  hackney-coaches,  carts  and 
carratelas.  Those  who  are  not  fortunate  enough  to 
possess  any  wheeled  conveyance,  come  out  on  horse, 
ass  or  mule  ;  single,  double,  or  treble,  if  necessary ; 
and  many  hundreds,  with  visions  of  silver  before 
their  eyes,  and  a  few  clacos,  (pence)  hid  under  their 
rags,  trudge  out  on  foot.  The  President  himself,  in 
carriage  and  six,  and  attended  by  his  aids-de-camp, 
sanctions  by  his  presence  the  amusements  of  the 
fete.  The  Mexican  generals  and  other  officers,  fol¬ 
low  in  his  wake,  and  the  gratifying  spectacle  may 
not  unfrequently  be  seen,  of  the  President  leaning 
from  his  box  in  the  plaza  de  gallos,  and  betting  upon  a 
cock,  with  a  coatless,  bootless,  hatless  and  probably 
worthless  ragamuffin  in  the  pit.  Every  one,  therefore, 
however  humble  his  degree,  has  the  pleasure,  while 
following  his  speculative  inclinations,  of  reflecting 
that  he  treads  in  the  steps  of  the  magnates  of  the 
land  ;  and  as  Sam  Weller  would  say;  “  Vot  a  con¬ 
solation  that  must  be  to  his  feelings  !  ” 

At  all  events,  nothing  can  be  gayer  than  the  ap¬ 
pearance  of  the  village,  as  your  carriage  makes  its 
way  through  the  narrow  lanes  into  the  principal 
27 


VOL.  I. 


314 


SAN  ANTONIO. 


plaza,  amidst  the  assembled  crowd  of  coaches  and 
foot-passengers;  though  the  faces  of  the  people  bear 
evidence  that  pleasure  alone  lias  not  brought  them 
to  San  Agustin.  All  round  the  square  are  the 
gambling-houses,  where  for  three  nights  and  three 
days  every  table  is  occupied.  At  the  principal 
monies  nothing  is  played  but  gold,  but  as  there  is 
accommodation  for  all  classes,  so  there  are  silver 
tables  in  the  inferior  houses,  while  outside  are  rows 
of  tables  on  which  are  heaps  of  copper,  covered  with 
a  ragged  awning,  and  surrounded  by  leperos  and 
blanketed  Indians,  playing  monte  in  imitation  of 
their  betters,  though  on  a  scale  more  suited  to  their 
finances. 

Having  left  Mexico  early  in  the  morning,  we 
stopped  to  breakfast  at  San  Antonio,  a  noble  haci¬ 
enda,  about  four  leagues  from  Mexico,  belonging  to 
the  Dowager  Marquesa  de  Vivanco,  where  we  break¬ 
fasted  with  a  large  party.  It  is  a  fine  solid  mass  of 
building,  and  as  you  enter  the  court-yard,  through  a 
deep  archway,  the  great  outhouses,  stables,  and 
especially  the  granary,  look  like  remains  of  feudal¬ 
ism,  they  are  on  so  large  and  magnificent  a  scale.  It 
is  an  immense  and  valuable  property,  producing  both 
maize  and  maguey,  and  the  hospitality  of  the  family, 
who  are  amongst  our  earliest  friends  here,  is  upon  as 
large  a  scale  as  everything  that  belongs  to  them. 
We  had  a  splendid  breakfast,  in  a  fine  old  hall,  and 
staid  but  a  short  time  to  visit  the  gardens  and  the 
chapel,  as  we  were  anxious  to  arrive  at  San  Agustin 
in  time  for  the  cock-fight. 

It  is  singular,  that  while  San  Agustin  is  situated 


THE  PEDREGAL. 


315 


in  the  midst  of  the  most  fertile  and  productive  coun¬ 
try,  there  should  lie  opposite  to  it,  and  bounded  as 
it  were  by  the  graceful  Peruvian  trees  and  silver 
poplars  which  surround  a  small  church  on  the  other 
side  of  the  high  road,  a  great  tract  of  black  lava, 
sterile,  bleak,  and  entirely  destitute  of  vegetation, 
called  the  Pedregal.  This  covers  the  country  all 
along  to  San  Agustin  and  to  the  base  of  the  moun¬ 
tain  of  Ajusco,  which  lies  behind  it,  contrasting 
strangely  with  the  beautiful  groves  and  gardens  in 
its  neighborhood,  and  looking  as  if  it  had  been  cursed 
for  some  crime  committed  there.  The  high  road, 
which  runs  nearly  in  a  direct  line  from  the  hacienda 
to  San  Agustin,  is  broad  and  in  tolerable  repair  ; 
but  before  arriving  there,  it  is  so  little  attended  to, 
that  during  the  rainy  season  it  might  be  passed  in 
canoes  ;  yet  this  immense  formation  of  ferruginous 
lava  and  porphyritic  rock  lies  conveniently  in  its 
vicinity.  A  large  sum,  supposed  to  be  employed  in 
mending  the  road,  is  collected  annually  at  the  toll, 
close  to  San  Antonio.  For  each  carriage  two  dollars 
are  asked,  and  for  carts  and  animals  in  proportion. 
The  proprietor  of  this  toll  or  postazgo  is  also  the 
owner  of  the  plaza  de  gallos,  where  a  dollar  is  paid 
for  entry,  the  sums  produced  by  which  go  exclusively 
to  enrich  the  same  individual.  The  government  has 

no  advantage  from  it . 

The  last  day  of  the  fete  is  considered  the  best, 
and  it  is  most  crowded  on  that  day,  both  by  families 
from  Mexico  and  by  foreigners  who  go  solely  for 
pleasure,  though  not  unfrequently  tempted  to  do 
a  little  business  on  their  own  account.  In  fact,  the 


316 


COCK-PIT. 


temptations  are  great  ;  and  it  must  be  difficult  for  a 
young  man  to  withstand  them. 

We  went  to  the  gallos  about  three  o’clock.  The 
plaza  was  crowded,  and  the  ladies  in  their  boxes 
looked  like  a  parterre  of  different  colored  flowers. 
But  whilst  the  Senoras  in  their  boxes  did  honor 
to  the  fete  by  their  brilliant  toilette,  the  gentlemen 
promenaded  round  the  circle  in  jackets,  high  and  low 
being  on  the  same  curtailed  footing,  and  certainly  in 
a  style  of  dress  more  befitting  the  exhibition.  The 
President  and  his  suite  were  already  there,  also  seve¬ 
ral  of  the  foreign  ministers. 

Meanwhile,  the  cocks  crowed  valiantly,  bets  were 
adjusted,  and  even  the  women  entered  into  the  spirit 
of  the  scene,  taking  bets  with  the  gentlemen  sotta 
voce  in  their  boxes,  upon  such  and  such  favorite  ani¬ 
mal.  As  a  small  knife  is  fastened  to  the  leg  of  each 
cock,  the  battle  seldom  lasted  long,  one  or  other  fall¬ 
ing  every  few  minutes  in  a  pool  of  blood.  Then 
there  was  a  clapping  of  hands,  mingled  with  the  loud 
crowing  of  some  unfortunate  cock,  who  was  giving 
himself  airs  previous  to  a  combat  where  he  was  proba¬ 
bly  destined  to  crow  his  last.  It  has  a  curious  effect 
to  European  eyes,  to  see  young  ladies  of  good  family, 
looking  peculiarly  feminine  and  gentle,  sanctioning, 
by  their  presence,  this  savage  diversion.  It  is  no 
doubt  the  effect  of  early  habit,  and  you  will  say  that 
at  least  it  is  no  worse  than  a  bull-fight  ;  which  is 
certain  —  vet  cruel  as  the  latter  is,  I  find  something 
more  en  grand,  more  noble,  in  the 

“  Ungentle  sport  that  oft  invites 
The  Spanish  maid,  and  cheers  the  Spanish  swain 


COCK-FIGHT. 


317 


in  the  roaring  of  the  “  lord  of  lowing  herds”  —  the 
galloping  of  the  fine  horses,  the  skill  of  the  riders, 
the  gay  dresses,  the  music  and  the  agile  matador ;  in 
short,  in  the  whole  pomp  and  circumstance  of  the 
combat,  than  when  one  looks  quietly  on  to  see  two 
birds  peck  each  other’s  eyes  out,  and  cut  each  other 
to  pieces.  Unlike  cock-pits  in  other  countries,  at¬ 
tended  by  blacklegs  and  pickpockets  and  gentlemanly 
roues,  by  far  the  largest  portion  of  the  assembly  in 
the  pit  was  composed  of  the  first  young  men  in  Mex¬ 
ico,  and  for  that  matter,  of  the  first  old  ones  also. 
There  was  neither  confusion,  nor  noise,  nor  even  loud 
talking,  far  less  swearing,  amongst  the  lowest  of  those 
assembled  in  the  ring  ;  and  it  is  this  quiet  and  or¬ 
derly  behavior  which  throws  over  all  these  incongru¬ 
ities  a  cloak  of  decency  and  decorum,  that  hides 
their  impropriety  so  completely,  that  even  foreigners 
who  have  lived  here  a  few  years,  and  who  were  at 
first  struck  with  astonishment  by  these  things,  are 
now  quite  reconciled  to  them. 

As  far  as  the  company  went,  it  might  have  been 
the  House  of  Representatives  in  Washington  ;  the 
ladies  in  the  gallery  listening  to  the  debates,  and  the 
members  in  the  body  of  the  house  surrounding 

Messrs. - and - ,  or  any  other  two  vehement 

orators  ;  applauding  their  biting  remarks  and  cutting 
sarcasms,  and  encouraging  them  to  crow  over  each 
other.  The  President  might  have  been  the  speaker, 
and  the  corps  diplomatique  represented  itself. 

We  had  an  agreeable  dinner  at  the  E - s,  and 

afterwards  accompanied  them  to  the  Calvario,  a  hill 
where  there  was  a  ball  al  fresco,  which  was  rather 
27* 


318 


GAMBLING  TABLES. 


amusing,  and  then  paid  a  visit  to  the  family  of 
General  Moran,  who  has  a  beautiful  house,  and  gar¬ 
dens  in  the  neighborhood.  We  found  a  large  party 
assembled,  and  amongst  them  the  President.  After¬ 
wards,  accompanied  by  the  -  minister  and  the 

ladies  of  our  party,  we  went  to  take  a  view  of  the 
gambling  tables,  and  opened  our  eyes  at  the  heaps  of 
gold,  which  changed  owners  every  minute.  I  saw 

C - a,  a  millionaire,  win  and  lose  a  thousand 

ounces,  apparently  with  equal  indifference.  A  little 
advocate,  having  won  two  thousand  five  hundred 
ounces,  wisely  ordered  his  carriage  and  set  off  for 
Mexico,  with  the  best  fee  he  had  ever  received  in  his 
life.  Ladies  do  not  generally  look  on  at  the  tables, 
but  may  if  they  please,  and  especially  if  they  be 
strangers.  Each  gambling-room  was  well  fitted  up, 
and  looked  like  a  private  apartment. 

We  then  returned  home  and  dressed  for  the  ball, 
which  is  given  in  the  evening  in  the  plaza  de  gallos. 
We  first  went  up  stairs  to  a  box,  but  I  afterwards 

took  the  advice  of  M.  de - and  came  down  to 

see  the  dancers.  There  were  ladies  in  full  dress,  and 
gentlemen  in  white  jackets  —  rather  inconsistent. 
The  company,  though  perfectly  quiet  and  well-be¬ 
haved,  were  not  very  select,  and  were,  on  that  ac¬ 
count,  particularly  amusing.  Madame  de - and 

I  walked  about,  and  certainly  laughed  much  more 
than  we  should  have  done  in  a  more  distinguished 
society. 

About  two  in  the  mornins:  we  returned  to  Mexico, 

O  5 

and  as  I  this  moment  receive  a  note  from  the  Ameri¬ 
can  Minister,  informing  me  that  the  packet  from  Vera 


FORMER  FASHIONS. 


319 


Cruz  is  about  to  sail,  I  shall  send  off  my  letters  now  ; 
and  should  we  still  be  here  next  year,  I  shall  then 
give  you  a  more  detailed  description  of  the  fete,  of 
the  ball,  both  at  Calvario  and  in  the  cock-pit,  and  also 
of  the  “  high  life  below  stairs  ”  gambling,  at  which 
the  scenes  are  impayable.  In  one  respect,  the  fashions 
at  San  Agustin  are  altered  from  what  they  were  a  few 
years  ago,  when  the  Senoras  used  to  perform  five 
elaborate  and  distinct  toilettes  daily  ;  the  first  in  the 
morning,  the  second  for  the  cock-fight,  the  third  for 
dinner,  the  fourth  for  the  ball  on  the  hill  of  Calvary, 
and  the  fifth  for  the  ball  in  the  evening.  I  am  told, 
that  as  they  danced  in  the  open  air,  on  the  hill,  with 
all  their  diamonds  and  pearls  on,  in  the  midst  of  an 
immense  concourse  of  people,  a  great  many  jewels 
were  constantly  lost,  which  the  Uperos  used  after¬ 
wards  to  search  for,  and  pick  up  from  the  grass  ;  a 
rich  harvest.  Though  they  still  dress  a  great  deal, 
they  are  contented  with  changing  their  toilette  twice, 
or  at  the  most,  three  times  in  the  course  of  the  day. 

Upon  the  whole,  these  three  days  are  excessively 
amusing,  and  as  all  ranks  and  conditions  are  mingled, 
one  sees  much  more  variety  than  at  a  ball  in  the  city. 

On  their  way  home,  C - n  and  Senor - dis¬ 

cussed  the  effects  likely  to  be  produced  on  the  morals 

of  the  people  by  this  fete.  Senor - ,  like  nearly  all 

the  wisest  men  here,  persists  in  considering  gambling 
an  innocent  amusement,  and  declares,  that  at  all  events, 
this  fete  ought  never  to  be  done  away  with.  In  his 
opinion,  it  conduces  to  the  happiness  of  the  people, 
gives  them  an  annual  pleasure  to  look  forward  to,  and 
by  the  mingling  of  all  ranks  which  then  takes  place, 


320 


REFLECTIONS. 


keeps  up  a  good  feeling  between  the  higher  and  lower 

orders.  C - n  asked  him  why,  if  such  were  the 

case,  the  government  did  not,  at  least,  endeavor  to 
draw  some  advantage  from  it,  after  the  manner  of  the 
Count  de  Revillagigedo  —  why,  as  the  bank,  by  the 
nature  of  the  game,  has,  besides  a  great  capital,  which 
swallows  up  all  the  smaller  ones,  an  immense  profit, 
amounting  to  twenty-five  per  cent.,  they  do  not  make 
the  bankers  pay  four  or  five  per  cent.,  and  charge 
half  a  dollar  or  more  to  each  individual  who  enters 
to  gamble  ;  with  which  money  they  might  beautify 
the  village,  make  a  public  paseo,  a  good  road,  a  canal 
to  Mexico,  &c. 

I  thought  that  whatever  the  government  might  feel 
on  this  subject,  neither  the  bankers  nor  the  gamblers 
would  relish  the  insinuation.  I  shall  write  in  a  few 

days  by  the  Baron  de - Minister  from - ,  who 

leaves  Mexico  in  a  fortnight. 


LETTER  THE  TWENTY-SECOND. 


Countess  C - a —  Gutierrez  Estrada  —  Dinner  at  General  Mo¬ 

ran’s —  Dowager  Marquesa  —  Fete  at  San  Antonio — Ap¬ 
proach  of  the  rainy  season  —  Diamonds  and  plate  —  Great  ball 
—  Night  travelling — Severe  storm — Chapter  of  accidents-— 
Corpus  Christi — Poblana  dress  —  Bookclub  —  Ball  —  Hum¬ 
ming  bird  —  Franciscan  friar — Missions  to  Old  and  New 
California —  Zeal  and  endurance  of  the  missionaries  —  Present 
condition  —  Convent  gardener. 

17tli  June. 

As  we  dine  nearly  every  Sunday  with  the  Countess 

de  la  C~ - a  at  Tacubaya,  where  she  keeps  open 

house  to  all  her  friends,  we  have  had  the  pleasure  of 
becoming  intimately  acquainted  with  her  son-in-law, 
Senor  Gutierrez  Estrada,  who,  with  his  amiable  wife, 

has  lately  returned  from  Europe . 

A  great  dinner  was  given  us  the  other  day  by 
General  Moran  and  his  lady,  the  Marquesa  de  Vi- 
vanco,  at  San  Agustin.  We  went  early,  that  we 
might  have  time  to  walk  about  the  garden,  which 
is  beautiful,  and  to  visit  an  artificial  cave  there, 
which  we  found  lighted  up  with  colored  lamps, 
and  where  a  most  fascinating  species  of  cold  milk 
punch  with  cakes,  was  served  to  the  company.  The 
dinner  would  certainly  have  been  superb  in  any 
country  ;  the  family  have  travelled  a  great  deal  in 
Europe,  (per  force,  the  General  having  been  exiled 


322 


DIAMONDS  AND  PLATE. 


for  several  years,)  and  are  amongst  the  oldest  and 
richest  in  Mexico.  The  Dowager  Marquesa  has  a 
most  patriarchal  family  of  daughters  and  grand¬ 
daughters,  and  of  the  large  party  assembled  at  table, 
nearly  all  were  composed  of  its  different  members. 
In  the  evening  we  had  a  pleasant  dance  under  the 
trees. 

20th.  —  Being  invited  yesterday  to  a  fete  at  San 
Antonio,  we  left  Mexico  about  eight  o’clock,  by  the 
great  causeway  leading  to  San  Agustin.  The  day 
was  peculiarly  brilliant,  but  the  rainy  season  is  now 
announcing  its  approach  by  frequent  showers  towards 
evening.  We  found  a  large  party  assembled,  and 
about  twelve  o’clock,  sat  down  to  a  magnificent 
breakfast  of  about  sixty  persons.  Everything  was 
solid  silver  ;  even  the  plates.  A  vast  capital  is  sunk 
in  diamonds  and  plate  in  this  country,  no  good  sign 
of  the  state  of  commerce.  The  ladies  in  general 
were  dressed  in  white  embroidered  muslins,  over 
white  or  colored  satin,  and  one  or  two  Paris  dresses 
shone  conspicuous.  There  was  one  specimen  of  real 

Mexican  beauty  ;  the  Sehora - ,  a  face  perhaps 

more  Indian  than  Spanish,  very  dark,  with  fine  eyes, 
beautiful  teeth,  very  long,  dark  hair,  and  full  of  ex¬ 
pression.  The  house,  which  is  immensely  large,  is 
furnished,  or  rather  unfurnished,  in  the  style  of  all 
Mexican  haciendas.  After  breakfast,  we  had  music, 
dancing,  walking  and  billiard-playing.  Some  boleros 
were  very  gracefully  danced  by  a  daughter  of  the 
Marquesa’s,  and  they  also  showed  us  some  dances  of 
the  country.  The  fete  terminated  with  the  most 
beautiful  supper  I  almost  ever  saw.  A  great  hall  was 


OVERTURN. 


323 


lighted  with  colored  lamps,  the  walls  entirely  lined 
with  green  branches,  and  hung  with  fresh  garlands  of 
flowers  most  tastefully  arranged.  There  was  a  great 
deal  of  gaiety  and  cordiality,  of  magnificence  without 
ceremony,  and  of  riches  without  pretension. 

Although  warned  by  various  showers  that  a  bad 
night  would  probably  set  in,  and  although  it  was  too 
likely  that  the  hospitality  within  the  house  would  be 
extended  to  our  coachmen,  and  even  though  the 
whole  party  were  strongly  pressed  by  the  Marquesa 
to  pass  the  night  there,  so  that  it  was  with  difficulty 
we  resisted  her  entreaties  to  remain,  we  did,  in  the 
face  of  all  this,  set  off  at  twelve  o’clock  at  night  to 
return  to  Mexico  ;  about  seven  carriages  together, 
with  various  gentlemen  riding.  Though  very  dark, 
there  was  no  rain,  and  we  flattered  ourselves  that  it 
would  keep  fair  till  we  reached  the  city.  The  Min¬ 
ister  of  the  Interior,  who  is  married  to  a  daughter  of 
the  Marquesa,  C - n  and  I,  and  la  Guera  Rodri¬ 

guez,  set  off  in  one  carriage.  Some  carriages  had 
lamps  ;  others  had  none.  Some  had  six  horses  — 
we  had  six  mules,  and  an  escort  of  dragoons.  We 
had  not  gone  two  miles  before  a  thunder-storm  came 
on  ;  and  the  black  clouds  which  had  been  gathering 
above  our  heads,  burst  forth  in  torrents  of  rain.  The 
wind  was  tremendous.  All  the  lamps  were  extin¬ 
guished.  The  horses  waded  up  to  their  knees  in 
mud  and  water.  Suddenly  there  was  a  crash,  fol¬ 
lowed  by  loud  cries.  A  carriage  was  overturned,  in 
which  were  the  Senora  L - and  a  party  of  gentle¬ 

men.  In  the  midst  of  this  awful  storm,  and  perhaps 
still  more  bewildered  by  generous  liquor,  their  coach- 


324 


CORPUS  CHRISTI. 


man  had  lost  his  way,  and  lodged  them  all  in  a  ditch. 
The  poor  Senora  was  dreadfully  bruised,  her  head 
cut,  and  her  wrist  dislocated.  In  the  darkness  and 
confusion  she  was  extricated  with  difficulty,  and 
placed  in  another  carriage. 

Our  mules  stood  still.  As  far  as  the  noise  of  the 
storm  would  allow  us  to  hear,  we  made  out  that  our 
coachman  also  had  lost  the  road.  Two  dragoons 
rode  up  to  direct  him.  One  fell,  horse  and  all,  into 
a  deep  ditch,  where  he  remained  till  the  next  morn¬ 
ing.  Another  carriage  came  ploughing  its  way  be¬ 
hind  us.  Another  exclamation  in  the  darkness  !  A 
mule  had  fallen  and  broken  his  traces,  and  plunged 
into  the  water.  The  poor  animal  could  not  be  found. 
Never  was  there  such  a  chapter  of  accidents.  We 
were  the  only  carriage-load  which  escaped  entirely, 
owing  chiefly  to  the  sobriety  of  the  coachman.  Very 
slowly,  and  after  sundry  detentions,  we  arrived  in 
Mexico  towards  morning,  very  tired,  but  with  neither 
broken  bones  nor  bruises. 

18th.  —  Day  of  the  Corpus  Christi,  in  which  the 
Host  is  carried  through  the  city  in  great  procession, 
at  which  the  President,  in  full  uniform,  the  Arch¬ 
bishop,  and  all  the  ministers,  &c.,  assist.  In  former 
days  this  ceremony  took  place  on  Holy  Thursday, 
but  finding  that,  on  account  of  the  various  ceremo¬ 
nies  of  the  holy  week,  it  could  not  be  kept  with  due 
solemnity,  another  day  was  set  apart  for  its  celebra¬ 
tion.  We  went  to  a  window  in  the  square,  to  see 
the  procession,  which  was  very  brilliant ;  all  the 
troops  out,  and  the  streets  crowded.  Certainly,  a 
stranger  entering  Mexico  on  one  of  these  days, 


A  JAMAICA. 


325 


would  be  struck  with  surprise  at  its  apparent  wealth. 
Everything  connected  with  the  church  is  magnifi¬ 
cent. 

This  evening  the  Senora  A - came  after  it  was 

dark,  in  a  Poblana  dress,  which  she  had  just  bought 
to  wear  at  a  Jamaica,  which  they  are  going  to  have 
in  the  country  ;  a  sort  of  fair,  where  all  the  girls  dis¬ 
guise  themselves  in  peasants’  dresses,  and  go  about 
selling  fruit,  lemonade,  vegetables,  &c.,  to  each 
other  ;  a  very  ancient  Mexican  amusement.  This 
dress  cost  her  some  hundred  dollars.  The  top  of  the 
petticoat  is  yellow  satin  ;  the  rest,  which  is  of  scarlet 
cashmere,  is  embroidered  in  gold  and  silver.  Her 
hair  was  fastened  back  with  a  thick  silver  comb,  and 
her  ornaments  were  very  handsome,  coral  set  in  gold. 
Her  shoes  white  satin,  embroidered  in  gold  ;  the 
sleeves  and  body  of  the  chemise,  which  is  of  the 
finest  cambric,  trimmed  with  rich  lace  ;  and  the  pet¬ 
ticoat,  which  comes  below  the  dress,  shows  two 
flounces  of  Valenciennes.  She  looks  beautiful  in 
this  dress,  which  will  not  be  objected  to  in  the  coun¬ 
try,  though  it  might  not  suit  a  fancy  ball  in  Mexico. 

June  21th.  —  I  was  awakened  this  morning  by 
hearing  that  two  boxes  had  arrived  from  New  York, 
containing  books,  letters,  &c. ;  all  very  acceptable. 
We  also  received  a  number  of  old  newspapers  by 
post,  for  which  we  had  to  pay  eighteen  dollars  ! 
Each  sheet  costs  a  real  and  a  half ;  a  mistaken  source 
of  profit  in  a  Republic,  where  the  general  diffusion  of 
knowledge  is  of  so  much  importance ;  for  this  not. 
only  applies  to  the  introduction  of  French  and  Eng¬ 
lish,  but  also  of  Spanish  newspapers.  Senors  Gu- 
28 


VOL.  I. 


3-26 


NEWSPAPERS. 


tirez  Estrada  and  Canedo  used  every  effort  to  reduce 
this  duty  on  newspapers,  but  in  vain.  The  post-office 
opposes  its  reduction,  fearing  to  be  deprived  of  an 
imaginary  rent ;  imaginary,  because  so  few  persons 
comparatively,  think  it  worth  their  while  to  go  to 
this  expense. 

There  is  but  one  daily  newspaper  in  Mexico,  “  La 
Gazeta  del  Gobierno,”  (the  government  paper)  and 
it  is  filled  with  orders  and  decrees.  An  opposition 
paper,  the  “  Cosmopolita,”  is  published  twice  a 
week  ;  also  a  Spanish  paper,  the  “  Hesperia  ;  ”  both, 
(especially  the  last)  are  well  written.  There  is  also 
the  Mosquito,  so  called,  from  its  stinging  sarcasms. 
Now  and  then  another  with  a  new  title  appears,  like 
a  shooting  star,  but,  from  want  of  support,  or  from 
some  other  motive,  is  suddenly  extinguished. 

Enlightened  individuals  like  Don  Lucas  Alaman 
and  Count  Cortina  have  published  newspapers,  but 
not  for  any  length  of  time.  Count  Cortina  especially, 
edited  a  very  witty  and  brilliant  paper  called  the 
“  Zurriago ,”  the  “  Scourge,”  and  another  called  the 
“  Mono,  ”  the  “  Ape  ;  ”  and  in  many  of  his  articles 
he  was  tolerably  severe  upon  the  incorrect  Spanish  of 
his  brother  editors,  of  which  no  one  can  be  a  better 
judge,  he  having  been  a  member  of  the  “  Academia 
de  la  Lengua,”  in  Spain. 

The  only  kind  of  monthly  review  in  Mexico  is 
the  “  Mosaico  Megicano ,”  whose  editor  has  made  his 
fortune  by  his  own  activity  and  exertions.  Fre¬ 
quently  it  contains  more  translations  than  original 
matter ;  but  from  time  to  time  it  publishes  scientific 
articles,  said  to  be  written  by  Don  J.  M.  Bustamante, 


BOOKS. 


327 


which  are  very  valuable,  and  occasionally  a  brilliant 
article  from  the  pen  of  Count  Cortina.  General 
Orbegoso,  who  is  of  Spanish  origin,  is  also  a  con¬ 
tributor.  Sometimes,  though  rarely,  it  publishes 
“  documentos  ineditos,”  (unedited  documents)  con¬ 
nected  with  Mexican  antiquities,  and  Mexican  natu¬ 
ral  history  and  biography,  which  are  very  important ; 
and  now  and  then,  it  contains  a  little  poetical  gem,  I 
know  not  whether  original  or  not,  but  exceedingly 
beautiful.  So  far  as  it  goes,  this  review  is  one  great 
means  of  spreading  knowledge,  at  least  amongst  the 
better  classes  ;  but  I  understand  that  the  editor,  Don 
Ygnacio  Cumplido,  a  very  courteous,  intelligent 
man,  complains  that  it  does  not  pay. 

There  are  no  circulating  libraries  in  Mexico. 
Books  are  at  least  double  the  price  that  they  are  in 
Europe.  There  is  no  diffusion  of  useful  knowledge 
amongst  the  people  ;  neither  cheap  pamphlets  nor 
cheap  magazines  written  for  their  amusement  or  in¬ 
struction  ;  but  this  is  less  owing  to  want  of  attention 
to  their  interests  on  the  part  of  many  good  and  en¬ 
lightened  men,  than  to  the  unsettled  state  of  the 
country ;  for  the  blight  of  civil  war  prevents  the  best 
systems  from  ripening. 

Fortunately,  there  is  an  English  society  here,  a 
kind  of  book-club,  who,  with  their  minister,  have 
united  in  a  subscription  to  order  from  England  all 
the  new  publications,  and  as  C- — — n  is  a  member  of 
this  society,  we  are  not  so  arricres  in  regard  to  the 
literature  of  the  day  as  might  be  supposed.  Like 
all  English  societies,  its  basis  is  a  good  dinner,  which 
each  member  gives  in  turn,  once  a  month,  after 


328 


ENGLISH  BOOK-CLUB. 


which  there  is  a  sale  of  the  books  that  have  been 
read,  and  propositions  for  new  books  are  given  in  to 
the  President.  It  is  an  excellent  plan,  and  I  believe 
is  in  part  adopted  by  other  foreigners  here.  But 
Germans  of  a  certain  class  do  not  seem  to  be  suffi¬ 
ciently  numerous  for  such  an  undertaking,  and  the 
French  in  Mexico,  barring  some  distinguished  ex¬ 
ceptions,  are  apt  to  be  amongst  the  very  worst  speci¬ 
mens  of  that  people  which  “  le  plaisant  pays  de 
France”  can  furnish  forth. 

We  went  lately  to  a  ball  given  by  a  young  Eng¬ 
lishman,  which  was  very  pretty,  and  where  nearly  all 
the  English  were  collected.  Of  families,  there  are 
not  more  than  half  a  dozen  resident  here,  the  mem¬ 
bers  of  whom  form  a  striking  contrast  in  complexion 
to  the  Mexicanas.  With  very  few  exceptions,  (and 
these  in  the  case  of  English  women  married  to  for¬ 
eigners)  they  keep  themselves  entirely  aloof  from  the 
Mexicans,  live  quietly  in  their  own  houses,  into  which 
they  have  transplanted  as  much  English  comfort  as 
possible,  rarely  travel,  and  naturally  find  Mexico  the 

dullest  of  cities.  .  .  C - n  has  gone  to  dine  with 

the  English  minister,  and  I  am  left  alone  in  this  large 
room,  with  nothing  but  a  humming  bird  to  keep  me 
company;  the  last  of  my  half  dozen.  It  looks  like 
a  large  blue  fly,  and  is  perfectly  tame,  but  will  not 
live  many  days . 

I  was  startled  by  a  solemn  voice,  saying,  “  Ave  Ma¬ 
ria  Purissima !  ”  And  looking  up,  there  stood  in  the 
door-way,  a  “  friar  of  orders  grey,”  bringing  some 

message  to  C - n  from  the  head  of  the  convent  of 

San  Fernando ;  with  which  monks  C - n  has 


MISSIONS. 


329 


formed  a  great  intimacy,  chiefly  in  consequence  of 
the  interest  which  he  has  taken  in  the  history  of  their 
missions  to  California. 

In  fact,  when  we  hear  the  universal  outcry  that  is 
raised  against  these  communities  for  the  inutility  of 
their  lives,  it  is  but  just  that  exceptions  should  be 
made  in  favor  of  those  orders,  who,  like  the  monks 
of  San  Fernando,  have  dispersed  their  missionaries 
over  some  of  the  most  miserable  parts  of  the  globe, 
and  who,  undeterred  by  danger,  and  by  the  prospect 
of  death,  have  carried  light  to  the  most  benighted 
savages.  These  institutions  are  of  a  very  remote 
date.  A  learned  Jesuit  monk,  Eusebio  Kuhn,  is  said 
to  have  been  the  first  who  discovered  that  California 
was  a  peninsula.  In  1683  the  Jesuits  had  formed 
establishments  in  Old  California,  and  for  the  first 
time  it  was  made  known,  that  the  country  which  had 
until  then  been  considered  an  El  Dorado,  rich  in  all 
precious  metals  and  diamonds,  was  arid,  stony,  and 
without  water  or  earth  fit  for  vegetation  ;  that  where 
there  is  a  spring  of  water,  it  is  to  be  found  amongst 
the  bare  rocks,  and  where  there  is  earth,  there  is 
no  water.  A  few  spots  were  found  by  these  indus¬ 
trious  men,  uniting  these  advantages,  and  there  they 
founded  their  first  missions. 

But  the  general  hatred  with  which  the  Jesuits 
were  regarded,  excited  suspicion  against  them,  and 
it  \vas  generally  supposed  that  their  accounts  were 
false,  and  that  they  were  privately  becoming  pos¬ 
sessed  of  much  treasure.  A  visitador  (surveyor) 
was  sent  to  examine  into  the  truth,  and  though  he 
could  discover  no  traces  of  gold  or  silver,  he  was  as- 
28* 


330 


NEW  CALIFORNIA. 


tonished  by  the  industry  and  zeal  with  which  they 
had  cultivated  the  barren  and  treeless  waste.  In  a 
few  years  they  had  built  sixteen  villages,  and  when 
they  were  expelled  in  1767,  the  Dominican  friars  of 
Mexico  took  their  place. 

Until  these  missions  were  established,  and  in  every 
part  of  the  peninsula  which  is  not  included  in  the 
territory  of  the  missions,  the  savages  were  the  most 
degraded  specimens  of  humanity  existing.  More  de¬ 
graded  than  the  beasts  of  the  field,  they  lay  all  day 
upon  their  faces  on  the  arid  sand,  basking  in  the 
heat ;  they  abhorred  all  species  of  clothing,  and  their 
only  religion  was  a  secret  horror  that  caused  them  to 
tremble  at  the  idea  of  three  divinities,  belonging  to 
three  different  tribes,  and  which  divinities  were 
themselves  supposed  to  feel  a  mortal  hatred,  and  to 
wage  perpetual  war  against  each  other. 

Undeterred  by  the  miserable  condition  both  of 
human  and  of  vegetable  nature,  these  missionaries 
cultivated  the  ground,  established  colonies,  made  im¬ 
portant  astronomical  observations,  and  devoted  them¬ 
selves  to  science,  to  agriculture,  and  to  the  ameliora¬ 
tion  of  the  condition  of  these  wretched  savages. 

In  New  California,  the  missions  were  under  the 
charge  of  thirty-six  Franciscan  friars,  under  whom 
the  most  extraordinary  progress  in  civilization  took 
place ;  since  in  little  more  than  thirty  years,  upwards 
of  thirty-three  thousand  Indians  were  baptized,  and 
eight  thousand  marriages  had  taken  place.  The  soil 
being  fertile  and  the  climate  more  benign  than  in  the 
other  California,  in  eighteen  missions  established 
there,  they  cultivated  corn,  wheat,  maize,  &,c.,  and 


MONKS  OF  SAN  FERNANDO. 


331 


introduced  vegetables  and  fruit  trees  from  Spain ; 
amongst  these  the  vine  and  the  olive,  from  which 
excellent  wine  and  oil  were  made,  all  through  that 
part  of  the  country. 

Amongst  the  monks  destined  to  these  distant  mis¬ 
sions,  were  those  of  San  Fernando.  There,  banish¬ 
ed  from  the  world,  deprived  of  all  the  advantages 
of  civilization,  they  devoted  themselves  to  the  task 
of  taming  the  wild  Indians  ;  introduced  marriage 
amongst  them,  taught  them  to  cultivate  the  ground, 
together  with  some  of  the  most  simple  arts ;  assisted 
their  wants,  reproved  their  sins,  and  transplanted  the 
beneficent  doctrines  of  Christianity  amongst  them  ; 
using  no  arms  but  the  influence  which  religion  and 
kindness,  united  with  extreme  patience,  had  over 
their  stubborn  natures  ;  and  making  what  Humboldt, 
in  speaking  of  the  Jesuit  Missions,  calls  “  a  pacific 
conquest  ”  of  the  country.  ' 

Many  were  the  hardships  which  these  poor  men 
endured  ;  changed  from  place  to  place  ;  at  one  time 
ordered  to  some  barren  shore,  where  it  was  necessary 
to  recommence  their  labors,  — ■  at  another,  recalled  to 
the  capital  by  orders  of  the  prelate,  in  conjunction 
with  the  wishes  of  their  brethren,  among  whom 
there  was  a  species  of  congress,  called  by  them  a 
capitulo.  No  increase  of  rank,  no  reward,  no  praise, 
inspired  their  labors  ;  their  only  recompense  was 
their  intimate  conviction  of  doing  good  to  their  fel¬ 
low-creatures. 

In  the  archives  of  the  convent  there  still  exist  pa¬ 
pers,  proving  the  hardships  which  these  men  under¬ 
went  ;  the  zeal  with  which  they  applied  themselves 


332 


SUPPRESSION  OF  THE  MISSIONS. 


to  the  study  of  the  languages  of  the  country ;  (and 
when  we  are  informed  that  in  the  space  of  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  eighty  leagues,  nineteen  different  languages 
are  spoken,  it  was  no  such  easy  task)  and  containing 
their  descriptions  of  its  physical  and  moral  state, 
more  or  less  well  written,  according  to  their  different 
degrees  of  instruction  or  talent. 

It  frequently  happened  that  marketable  goods  and 
even  provisions  had  to  be  sent  by  sea  to  those  mis¬ 
sionaries  who  lived  in  the  most  savage  and  unculti¬ 
vated  parts  of  the  peninsula ;  and  a  curious  anec¬ 
dote  on  this  subject  was  related  to  C - n  by  one 

of  these  men  who  is  now  a  gardener  by  profession. 
It  happened  that  some  one  sent  to  the  monks,  amongst 
other  things,  a  case  of  fine  Malaga  raisins  ;  and  one 
of  the  monks,  whose  name  I  forget,  sowed  a  number 
of  the  dried  seeds.  In  process  of  time  they  sprouted 
up,  became  vines,  and  produced  fine  grapes,  from 
which  the  best  wine  in  California  was  made. 

When  the  independence  was  declared,  and  that 
revolutionary  fury,  which  makes  a  merit  of  destroying 
every  establishment,  good  or  bad,  which  is  the  work 
of  the  opposite  party,  broke  forth  ;  the  Mexicans,  to 
prove  their  hatred  to  the  mother  country,  destroyed 
these  beneficent  institutions  ;  thus  committing  an  er¬ 
ror  as  fatal  in  its  results  as  when  in  1828  they  ex¬ 
pelled  so  many  rich  proprietors,  who  were  followed 
into  exile  by  their  numerous  families  and  by  their 
old  servants,  who  gave  them  in  these  times  of  trouble, 
proofs  of  attachment  and  fidelity  belonging  to  a  race 
now  scarcely  existing  here,  except  amongst  a  few 
of  the  oldest  families. 


CONSEQUENCES. 


333 


The  result  has  been,  that  the  frontiers,  being  now 
unprotected  by  the  military  garrisons  or  presidios, 
which  were  established  there,  and  deserted  by  the 
missionaries,  the  Indians  are  no  longer  kept  under 
subjection,  either  by  the  force  of  arms  or  by  the 
good  counsels  and  persuasive  influence  of  their 
padres.  The  Mexican  territory  is  in  consequence 
perpetually  exposed  to  their  invasions — whole  fami¬ 
lies  are  massacred  by  the  savages,  who  exchange 
guns  for  rifles,  which  they  already  know  how  to 
use,  and  these  evil  consequences  are  occasionally 
and  imperfectly  averted  at  a  great  expense  to  the 
republic.  Bustamante  has  indeed  been  making  an 
investigation  lately  as  to  the  funds  and  general  con¬ 
dition  of  these  establishments,  with  the  intention  of 
reestablishing  some  similar  institutions ;  but  as  yet 
I  believe  that  nothing  decisive  has  been  done  in  this 
respect . 

Near  the  convent  there  is  a  beautiful  garden, 
where  we  sometimes  walk  in  the  morning,  cultivated 
by  an  old  monk,  who,  after  spending  a  laborious  life 
in  these  distant  missions,  is  now  enjoying  a  contented 
old  age  among  his  plants  and  flowers.  Perhaps  you 
are  tired  of  my  prosing,  (caused  by  the  apparition  of 
the  old  lay-brother)  and  would  prefer  some  account 
of  him  in  verse. 

An  aged  monk  in  San  F ernando  dwells, 

An  innocent  and  venerable  man  ; 

His  earlier  days  were  spent  within  its  cells, 

And  end  obscurely  as  they  first  began. 


334 


CONVENT  GARDENER. 


Manhood’s  career  in  savage  climes  he  ran, 

On  lonely  California’s  Indian  shore  — 

Dispelling  superstition’s  deadly  ban, 

Or  teaching  (what  could  patriot  do  more  ?) 

Those  rudiments  of  peace,  the  gardener’s  humble  store. 

Oft  have  I  marked  him,  silent  and  apart, 

Loitering  near  the  sunny  convent-gate, 

Rewarded  by  tranquillity  of  heart 

F or  toils  so  worthy  of  the  truly  great  ; 

And  in  my  soul  admired,  compared  his  state 

With  that  of  some  rude  brawler,  whose  crude  mind 
Some  wondrous  change  on  earth  would  fain  create  ; 

Who  after  flatt’ring,  harassing  mankind, 

Gains  titles,  riches,  pomp,  with  shame  and  scorn  combined. 


LETTER  THE  TWENTY-THIRD. 


The  President  —  Yturbide  —  Visit  from  the  Archbishop — Sefior 
Canedo  —  General  Almonte  —  Seiior  Cuevas  —  Situation  of  an 
Archbishop  in  Mexico  —  Of  Seiior  Posada  —  His  life  —  Mexi¬ 
can  charity  —  Wax  figures  —  Anecdote  —  Valuable  present  — 
Education —  Comparison —  Schools  —  Opportunities  —  Natural 
talent  —  Annual  —  Compliments  to  the  Mexican  ladies  by  the 
Editor  —  Families  of  the  old  school  —  Morals  —  Indulgence  — 
Manners  —  Love  of  country  —  Colleges. 


5th  July. 

Yesterday  morning,  we  had  a  visit  from  the  Presi¬ 
dent,  with  two  of  his  officers.  He  was  riding  one 
of  the  handsomest  black  horses  I  ever  saw.  On 
going  out  we  stopped  to  look  at  a  wax  figure  of 
Yturbide  on  horseback,  which  he  considers  a  good 
resemblance,  and  which  was  sent  me  in  a  present 
some  time  ago.  He  ought  to  be  a  good  judge,  as  he 
was  a  most  devoted  friend  of  the  unfortunate  Agustin 
the  First,  who,  whatever  were  his  faults,  seems  to 
have  inspired  his  friends  with  the  most  devoted  and 
enthusiastic  attachment.  In  the  prime  of  life,  brave 
and  active,  handsome  and  fond  of  show,  he  had  all 
the  qualities  which  render  a  chief  popular  with  the 
multitude ;  “  but  popularity,  when  not  based  upon 
great  benefits,  is  transient ;  it  is  founded  upon  a  prin¬ 
ciple  of  egotism,  because  a  whole  people  cannot  have 
personal  sympathies.”  Ambition  led  him  to  desert 


336 


YTURBIDE. 


the  royal  cause  which  he  had  served  for  nine  years ; 
and  vanity  blinded  him  to  the  dangers  that  surround¬ 
ed  him  in  the  midst  of  his  triumphs,  even  when  pro¬ 
claimed  Emperor  by  the  united  voice  of  the  gar¬ 
rison  and  city  of  Mexico  —  when  his  horses  were 
taken  from  his  carriage,  and  when  amidst  the  shouts 
of  the  multitude,  his  coach  was  dragged  in  triumph 
to  the  palace.  His  great  error,  according  to  those 
who  talk  of  him  impartially,  was  indecision  in  the 
most  critical  emergencies,  and  his  permitting  himself 
to  be  governed  by  circumstances,  instead  of  directing 
these  circumstances  as  they  occurred. 

I  could  not  help  thinking,  as  the  General  stood 
there  looking  at  the  waxen  image  of  his  friend,  what 
a  stormy  life  he  himself  has  passed  ;  how  little  real 
tranquillity  he  can  ever  have  enjoyed  ;  and  wonder¬ 
ing  whether  he  will  be  permitted  to  finish  his  presi¬ 
dential  days  in  peace,  which  according  to  rumor  is 
doubtful. 

8th.  —  I  had  the  honor  of  a  long  visit  this  morn¬ 
ing  from  his  Grace  the  Archbishop.  He  came  about 
eleven  o’clock,  after  mass,  and  remained  till  dinner 
time,  sitting  out  all  our  Sunday  visiters,  who  are 
generally  numerous,  as  it  is  the  only  day  of  rest  for 
employes,  and  especially  for  the  Cabinet.  Amongst 
our  visiters  were  Senor  Cahedo,  who  is  extremely 
agreeable  in  conversation,  and  as  an  orator  famed  for 
his  sarcasm  and  cutting  wit.  He  has  been  particu¬ 
larly  kind  and  friendly  to  us,  ever  since  our  arrival 
—  General  Almonte,  Minister  of  War,  a  handsome 
man  and  pleasant,  and  an  officer  of  great  bravery  — 
very  unpopular  with  one  party  and  especially  dis- 


THE  ARCHBISHOP. 


337 


liked  by  the  English,  but  also  a  great  friend  of  ours. 
Sehor  Cuevas,  Minister  of  the  Interior,  married  to  a 
daughter  of  the  Marquesa  de  Vivanco,  an  amiable  and 
excellent  man,  who  seems  generally  liked,  and  is  also 
most  friendly  to  us.  All  these  gentlemen  are  praised 
or  abused,  according  to  the  party  of  the  person  who 
speaks  of  them  ;  but  I,  not  interfering  in  Mexican 
politics,  find  them  amongst  the  most  pleasant  of  our 
acquaintances. 

However,  were  I  to  choose  a  situation  here,  it 
would  undoubtedly  be  that  of  Archbishop  of  Mexico, 
the  most  enviable  in  the  world  to  those  who  would 
enjoy  a  life  of  tranquillity,  ease,  and  universal  adora¬ 
tion.  He  is  a  Pope  without  the  trouble,  or  a  tenth 
part  of  the  responsibility.  He  is  venerated  more 
than  the  Holy  Father  is  in  enlightened  Rome,  and 
like  kings  in  the  good  old  times,  can  do  no  wrong. 
His  salary  amounts  to  about  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  and  a  revenue  might  be  made  by  the  sweet¬ 
meats  alone  which  are  sent  him  from  all  the  nuns  in 
the  republic.  His  palace  in  town,  his  well-cush¬ 
ioned  carriage,  well-conditioned  horses  and  sleek 
mules,  seem  the  very  perfection  of  comfort.  In  fact, 
comfort,  which  is  unknown  amongst  the  profane  of 
Mexico,  has  taken  refuge  with  the  Archbishop  ;  and 
though  many  drops  of  it  are  shed  on  the  shaven 
heads  of  all  bishops,  curates,  confessors  and  friars, 
still  in  his  illustrious  person  it  concentrates,  as  in  a 
focus.  He  himself  is  a  benevolent,  good-hearted, 
good-natured,  portly  and  jovial  personage,  with  the 
most  laissez-aller  air  and  expression  conceivable.  He 
looks  like  one  on  whom  the  good  things  of  this  world 
29 


VOL.  I. 


338 


CHARITIES. 


have  fallen  in  a  constant  and  benignant  shower, 
which  shower  hath  fallen  on  a  rich  and  fertile  soil, 
lie  is  generally  to  be  seen  leaning  back  in  his  car¬ 
riage,  dressed  in  purple,  with  amethyst  cross,  and 
giving  his  benediction  to  the  people  as  he  passes. 
He  seems  engaged  in  a  pleasant  reverie,  and  his 
countenance  wears  an  air  of  the  most  placid  and 
insouciant  content.  He  enjoys  a  good  dinner,  good 
wine,  and  ladies’  society,  but  just  sufficiently  to 
make  his  leisure  hours  pass  pleasantly,  without  indi¬ 
gestion  from  the  first,  headaches  from  the  second,  or 
heartaches  from  the  third.  So  does  his  life  seem  to 
pass  on  like  a  deep  untroubled  stream,  on  whose 
margin  grow  sweet  flowers,  on  whose  clear  waters 
the  bending  trees  are  reflected,  but  on  whose  placid 
face  no  lasting  impression  is  made. 

I  have  no  doubt  that  his  charities  are  in  proportion 
to  his  large  fortune ;  and  when  I  say  that  I  have  no 
doubt  of  this,  it  is  because  I  firmly  believe  there  ex¬ 
ists  no  country  in  the  world  where  charities,  both 
public  and  private,  are  practised  on  so  noble  a  scale, 
especially  by  the  women,  under  the  direction  of  the 
priests.  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that,  generally 
speaking,  charity  is  a  distinguishing  attribute  of  a 
Catholic  country. 

The  Archbishop  is  said  to  be  a  man  of  good  infor¬ 
mation,  and  was  at  one  time  a  Senator.  In  1833, 
being  comprehended  in  the  law  of  banishment,  caused 
by  the  political  disturbances  which  have  never  ceased 
to  afflict  this  country  since  the  independence,  he 
passed  some  time  in  the  United  States,  chiefly  in 
New  Orleans,  but  this,  I  believe,  is  the  only  cloud 


WAX  FIGURES. 


339 


that  has  darkened  his  horizon,  or  disturbed  the  tran¬ 
quil  current  of  his  life.  His  consecration,  with  its 
attendant  fatigues,  must  have  been  to  him  a  weari¬ 
some  overture  to  a  pleasant  drama,  a  hard  stepping- 
stone  to  glory.  As  to  the  rest,  he  is  very  unostenta¬ 
tious  ;  and  his  conversation  is  far  from  austere.  On 
the  contrary,  he  is  one  of  the  best-tempered  and  most 
cheerful  old  men  in  society  that  it  is  possible  to  meet 
with.  .  .  . 

I  send  you,  by  the  Mexican  Commissioners,  who 
are  kind  enough  to  take  charge  of  a  box  for  me,  the 
figure  of  a  Mexican  tortillera,  by  which  you  may 
judge  a  little  of  the  perfection  in  which  the  common¬ 
est  lepero  here  works  in  wax.  The  incredible  patience 
which  enabled  the  ancient  Mexicans  to  work  their 
statues  in  wood  or  stone  with  the  rudest  instruments, 
has  descended  to  their  posterity,  as  well  as  their  ex¬ 
traordinary  and  truly  Chinese  talent  for  imitation. 
With  a  common  knife  and  a  piece  of  hard  wood,  an 
uneducated  man  will  produce  a  fine  piece  of  sculpture. 
There  is  no  imagination.  They  do  not  leave  the 
beaten  track,  but  continue  on  the  models  which  the 
Spanish  conquerors  brought  out  with  them,  some  of 
which,  however,  were  very  beautiful. 

In  wax,  especially,  their  figures  have  been  brought 
to  great  perfection.  Everything  that  surrounds  them, 
they  can  imitate,  and  their  wax  portraits  are  some¬ 
times  little  gems  of  art ;  but  in  this  last  branch,  which 
belongs  to  a  higher  order  of  art,  there  are  no  good 
workmen  at  present. 

Apropos  to  which,  a  poor  artist  brought  some  toler¬ 
able  wax  portraits  here  for  sale  the  other  day,  and 


340 


EDUCATION. 


amongst  others,  that  of  a  celebrated  general.  C - n 

remarked  that  it  was  fairer  than  the  original,  as  far 
as  he  recollected.  “  Ah  !  ”  said  the  man,  “  but  when 
his  Excellency  washes  his  face,  nothing  can  be  more 
exact.”  A  valuable  present  was  sent  lately,  by  a 

gentleman  here,  to  the  Count  de -  in  Spain  ; 

twelve  cases,  each  case  containing  twelve  wax  figures  ; 
each  figure  representing  some  Mexican  trade,  or  pro¬ 
fession  or  employment.  There  were  men  drawing 
the  pulque  from  the  maguey,  Indian  women  selling 
vegetables,  tortilleras,  venders  of  ducks,  fruitmen, 
lard-sellers,  the  postman  of  Guachinango,  loaded 
with  parrots,  monkeys,  &c.,  —  more  of  everything  than 
of  letters  —  the  Poblana  peasant,  the  rancherita  on 
horseback  before  her  farm-servant,  the  gaily-dressed 
ranchero,  in  short,  a  little  history  of  Mexico  in 
wax.  .  .  . 

You  ask  me,  how  Mexican  women  are  educated. 
In  answering  you,  I  must  put  aside  a  few  brilliant 
exceptions,  and  speak  en  masse,  the  most  difficult 
thing  in  the  world,  for  these  exceptions  are  always 
rising  up  before  me  like  accusing  angels,  and  I  begin 
to  think  of  individuals,  when  I  should  keep  to  gen¬ 
eralities.  Generally  speaking,  then,  the  Mexican 
Senoras  and  Senoritas  write,  read  and  play  a  little, 
sew,  and  take  care  of  their  houses  and  children. 
When  I  say  they  read,  I  mean  they  know  how  to 
read  ;  when  I  say  they  write,  I  do  not  mean  that  they 
can  always  spell ;  and  when  I  say  they  play,  I  do  not 
assert  that  they  have  generally  a  knowledge  of  music. 
If  we  compare  their  education  with  that  of  girls  in 
England,  or  in  the  United  States,  it  is  not  a  compar- 


EDUCATION. 


341 


ison,  but  a  contrast.  Compare  it  with  that  of  Span¬ 
ish  women,  and  we  shall  be  less  severe  upon  their 
farniente  descendants.  In  the  first  place,  the  climate 
inclines  every  one  to  indolence,  both  physically  and 
morally.  One  cannot  pore  over  a  book  when  the  blue 
sky  is  constantly  smiling  in  at  the  open  windows  ; 
then  out  of  doors  after  ten  o’clock,  the  sun  gives  us 
due  warning  of  our  tropical  latitude,  and  even  though 
the  breeze  is  so  fresh  and  pleasant,  one  has  no  incli¬ 
nation  to  walk  or  ride  far.  Whatever  be  the  cause,  I 
am  convinced  that  it  is  impossible  to  take  the  same 
exercise  with  the  mind  or  with  the  body  in  this  coun¬ 
try,  as  in  Europe  or  in  the  Northern  states.  Then 
as  to  schools,  there  are  none  that  can  deserve  the 
name,  and  no  governesses.  Young  girls  can  have  no 
emulation,  for  they  never  meet.  They  have  no  pub¬ 
lic  diversion,  and  no  private  amusement.  There  are 
a  few  good  foreign  masters,  most  of  whom  have  come 
to  Mexico  for  the  purpose  of  making  their  fortune, 
by  teaching,  or  marriage,  or  both,  and  whose  object, 
naturally,  is  to  make  the  most  money  in  the  shortest 
possible  time,  that  they  may  return  home  and  enjoy 
it.  The  children  generally  appear  to  have  an  extra¬ 
ordinary  disposition  for  music  and  drawing,  yet  there 
are  few  girls  who  are  proficients  in  either. 

When  very  young,  they  occasionally  attend  the 
schools,  where  boys  and  girls  learn  to  read  in  com¬ 
mon,  or  any  other  accomplishment  that  the  old 
women  can  teach  them ;  but  at  twelve  they  are 
already  considered  too  old  to  attend  these  promiscu¬ 
ous  assemblages,  and  masters  are  got  in  for  drawing 
and  music,  to  finish  their  education.  I  asked  a  lady 
29* 


342 


EDUCATION. 


the  other  day  if  her  daughter  went  to  school.  “  Good 
heavens  !  ”  said  she,  quite  shocked,  “  she  is  past 
eleven  years  old  !  ”  It  frequently  happens  that  the 
least  well-informed  girls  are  the  children  of  the 
cleverest  men,  who,  keeping  to  the  customs  of  their 
forefathers,  are  content  if  they  confess  regularly,  at¬ 
tend  church  constantly,  and  can  embroider  and  sing 
a  little.  Where  there  are  more  extended  ideas,  it  is 
chiefly  amongst  families  who  have  travelled  in 
Europe,  and  have  seen  the  different  education  of 
women  in  foreign  countries.  Of  these,  the  fathers 
occasionally  devote  a  short  portion  of  their  time  to 
the  instruction  of  their  daughters,  perhaps  during 
their  leisure  evening  moments,  but  it  may  easily  be 
supposed  that  this  desultory  system  has  little  real  in¬ 
fluence  on  the  minds  of  the  children.  I  do  not 
think  there  are  above  half  a  dozen  married  women, 
or  as  many  girls  above  fourteen,  who,  with  the  ex¬ 
ception  of  the  mass-book,  read  any  one  book  through 
in  the  whole  course  of  the  year.  They  thus  greatly 
simplify  the  system  of  education  in  the  United 
States,  where  parties  are  frequently  divided  between 
the  advocates  for  solid  learning  and  those  for  super¬ 
ficial  accomplishments  ;  and  according  to  whom  it  is 
difficult  to  amalgamate  the  solid  beef  of  science 
with  the  sweet  sauce  of  les  beaux  arts. 

But  if  a  Mexican  girl  is  ignorant  she  rarely  shows 
it.  They  have  generally  the  greatest  possible  tact ; 
never  by  any  chance  wandering  out  of  their  depth, 
or  betraying  by  word  or  sign  that  they  are  not  well 
informed  on  the  subject  under  discussion.  Though 
seldom  graceful,  they  are  never  awkward,  and  always 


MEXICAN  ANNUAL. 


348 


self-possessed.  They  have  plenty  of  natural  talent, 
and  where  it  has  been  thoroughly  cultivated,  no 
women  can  surpass  them.  Of  what  is  called  literary 
society,  there  is  of  course  none  — 

“  No  bustling  Botlierbys  have  they  to  shew  ’em 
That  charming  passage  in  the  last  new  poem.” 

There  is  a  little  annual  lying  beside  me,  called 
“Caleudario  de  las  Sehoritas  Mejicanas,”  of  which 
the  preface,  by  Galvan,  the  editor,  is  very  amusing. 

“  To  none,”  he  says,  “  better  than  to  Mexican  la¬ 
dies,  can  I  dedicate  this  mark  of  attention  —  ( obse - 
quio .)  Their  graceful  attractions  well  deserve  any 
trouble  that  may  have  been  taken  to  please  them. 
Their  bodies  are  graceful  as  the  palms  of  the  desert ; 
their  hair,  black  as  ebony,  or  golden  as  the  rays  of 
the  sun,  gracefully  waves  over  their  delicate  shoul¬ 
ders  ;  their  glances  are  like  the  peaceful  light  of  the 
moon.  The  Mexican  ladies  are  not  so  white  as  the 
Europeans,  but  their  whiteness  is  more  agreeable  to 
our  eyes.  Their  words  are  soft,  leading  our  hearts 
by  gentleness,  in  the  same  manner  as  in  their  mo¬ 
ments  of  just  indignation  they  appal  and  confound 
us.  Who  can  resist  the  magic  of  their  song,  always 
sweet,  always  gentle,  and  always  natural  ?  Let  us 
leave  to  foreign  ladies  (las  ultramarinas )  these  affect¬ 
ed  and  scientific  manners  of  singing ;  here  nature 
surpasses  art,  as  happens  in  everything,  notwithstand¬ 
ing  the  cavilings  of  the  learned. 

“  And  what  shall  I  say  of  their  souls  ?  I  shall  say 
that  in  Europe  the  minds  are  more  cultivated,  but  in 
Mexico  the  hearts  are  more  amiable.  Here  they  are 


344 


FAMILIES  OF  THE  OLD  SCHOOL. 


not  only  sentimental,  but  tender ;  not  only  soft,  but 
virtuous  ;  the  body  of  a  child  is  not  more  sensitive, 
(no  es  mas  sensible  el  cuerpo  de  un  nino )  nor  a 
rose-bud  softer.  I  have  seen  souls  as  beautiful  as  the 
borders  of  the  rainbow,  and  purer  than  the  drops  of 
dew.  Their  passions  are  seldom  tempestuous,  and 
even  then  they  are  kindled  and  extinguished  easily ; 
but  generally  they  emit  a  peaceful  light,  like  the 
morning  star,  Venus.  Modesty  is  painted  in  their 
eyes,  and  modesty  is  the  greatest  and  most  irresisti¬ 
ble  fascination  of  their  souls.  In  short,  the  Mexican 
ladies,  by  their  manifold  virtues,  are  destined  to 
serve  as  our  support  whilst  we  travel  through  the  sad 
desert  of  life. 

“  Well  do  these  attractions  merit  that  we  should  try 
to  please  them  ;  and  in  effect  a  new  form,  new  lus¬ 
tre,  and  new  graces  have  been  given  to  the  ‘  Alma¬ 
nac  of  the  Mexican  Ladies,’  whom  the  editor 
submissively  entreats  to  receive  with  benevolence 
this  small  tribute  due  to  their  enchantments  and  their 
virtues  !  ” 

There  are  in  Mexico  a  few  families  of  the  old 
school,  people  of  high  rank,  but  who  mingle  very 
little  in  society ;  who  are  little  known  to  the  general¬ 
ity  of  foreigners,  and  who  keep  their  daughters  en¬ 
tirely  at  home,  that  they  may  not  be  contaminated  by 
bad  example.  These  select  few,  rich  without  any 
ostentation,  are  certainly  doing  everything  that  is  in 
their  power  to  remedy  the  evils  occasioned  by  the 
want  of  proper  schools,  or  of  competent  instruc¬ 
tresses  for  their  daughters.  Being  nearly  all  allied 
by  birth,  or  connected  by  marriage,  they  form  a  sort 


MORALS. 


345 


of  clan;  and  it  is  sufficient  to  belong  to  one  or  other 
of  these  families,  to  be  hospitably  received  by  all. 
They  meet  together  frequently,  without  ceremony, 
and  whatever  elements  of  good  exist  in  Mexico,  are 
to  be  found  amongst  them.  The  fathers  are  gen¬ 
erally  men  of  talent  and  learning,  and  the  mothers, 
women  of  the  highest  respectability,  to  whose  name 
no  suspicion  can  be  attached. 

But  indeed,  it  is  long  before  a  stranger  even  sus¬ 
pects  the  state  of  morals  in  this  country,  for  what¬ 
ever  be  the  private  conduct  of  individuals,  the  most 
perfect  decorum  prevails  in  outward  behavior.  But 
indolence  is  the  mother  of  vice,  and  not  only  to  little 
children  might  Doctor  Watts  have  asserted  that, 


“  Satan  finds  some  miscliief  still, 

For  idle  hands  to  do.” 

They  are  besides  extremely  leal  to  each  other,  and 
with  proper  esprit  de  corps ,  rarely  gossip  to  strangers 
concerning  the  errors  of  their  neighbors’  ways  ;  —  in¬ 
deed,  if  such  a  thing  is  hinted  at,  deny  all  knowledge 
of  the  fact.  So  long  as  outward  decency  is  preserved, 
habit  has  rendered  them  tolerably  indifferent  as  to  the 
liaisons  subsisting  amongst  their  particular  friends  ; 
and  as  long  as  a  woman  attends  church  regularly,  is 
a  patroness  of  charitable  institutions,  and  gives  no 
scandal  by  her  outward  behavior,  she  may  do  pretty 
much  as  she  pleases.  As  for  flirtations  in  public, 
they  are  unknown. 

I  must,  however,  confess  that  this  indulgence  on 
the  part  of  women  of  unimpeachable  reputation  is 
sometimes  carried  too  far.  We  went  lately  to  a 


346 


MANNERS. 


breakfast,  at  which  was  a  young  and  beautiful 
Countess,  lately  married,  and  of  very  low  birth.  She 

looked  very  splendid,  with  all  the  -  diamonds, 

and  a  dress  of  rose-colored  satin.  After  breakfast, 
we  adjourned  to  another  room,  where  I  admired 
the  beauty  of  a  little  child  who  was  playing  about  on 
the  door,  when  this  lady  said,  “Yes,  she  is  very 
pretty  —  very  like  my  little  girl,  who  is  just  the  same 
age.”  I  was  rather  surprised,  but  concluded  she 
had  been  a  widow,  and  made  the  inquiry  of  an  old 
French  lady  who  was  sitting  near  me.  “Oh  no  !  ” 
said  she  —  “  she  was  never  married  before  ;  she  al¬ 
ludes  to  the  children  she  had  before  the  Count  be¬ 
came  acquainted  with  her  !  ”  And  yet,  the  Senora 

de - ,  the  strictest  woman  in  Mexico,  was  loading 

her  with  attentions  and  caresses.  I  must  say,  how¬ 
ever,  that  this  was  a  singular  instance.  .  .  . 

There  are  no  women  more  affectionate  in  their 
manners  than  those  of  Mexico.  In  fact,  a  foreigner, 
especially  if  he  be  an  Englishman  and  a  shy  man, 
and  accustomed  to  the  coldness  of  his  fair  country¬ 
women,  need  only  live  a  few  years  here,  and  under¬ 
stand  the  language,  and  become  accustomed  to  the 
peculiar  style  of  beauty,  to  find  the  Mexican  Senor- 
itas  perfectly  irresistible. 

And  that  this  is  so,  may  be  judged  of  by  the  many 
instances  of  Englishmen  married  to  the  women  of  this 
country,  who  invariably  make  them  excellent  wives. 
But  when  an  Englishman  marries  here,  he  ought 
to  settle  here,  for  it  is  very  rare  that  a  Mexicaine 
can  live  out  of  her  own  country.  They  miss  the 
climate  —  they  miss  that  warmth  of  manner,  that 


COLLEGES. 


347 


universal  cordiality  by  which  they  are  surrounded 
here.  They  miss  the  laissez-ctller  and  absence  of  all 
etiquette  in  habits,  toilette,  &c.  They  find  them¬ 
selves  surrounded  by  women  so  differently  educated, 
as  to  be  doubly  strangers  to  them,  strangers  in  feel¬ 
ing  as  well  as  in  country.  A  very  few  instances 
there  are,  of  girls  married  very  young,  taken  to  Eu¬ 
rope,  and  introduced  into  good  society,  who  have  ac¬ 
quired  European  ways  of  thinking,  and  even  prefer 
other  countries  to  their  own  ;  but  this  is  so  rare,  as 
scarcely  to  form  an  exception.  They  are  true  pa¬ 
triots,  and  the  visible  horizon  bounds  their  wishes. 
In  England  especially,  they  are  completely  out  of 
their  element.  A  language  nearly  impossible  for 
them  to  acquire,  a  religion  which  they  consider  here¬ 
tical,  outward  coldness  covering  inward  warmth,  a 
perpetual  war  between  sun  and  fog,  etiquette  carried 
to  excess,  an  insupportable  stiffness  and  order  in  the 
article  of  the  toilette  ;  rebosos  unknown,  cigaritos 
considered  barbarous.  .  .  .  They  feel  like  exiles 
from  paradise,  and  live  but  in  hopes  of  a  speedy 
return. 

As  to  the  colleges  for  young  men,  although  various 
projects  of  reform  have  been  made  by  enlightened 
men  in  regard  to  them,  especially  by  Don  Lucas 
Alaman,  and  afterwards  by  Senor  Gutirez  Estrada, 
and  though  to  a  certain  extent,  many  of  these  plans 
were  carried  into  effect,  it  is  a  universal  source  of 
complaint  among  the  most  distinguished  persons  in 
Mexico,  that  in  order  to  give  their  sons  a  thorough 
education,  it  is  necessary  to  send  them  abroad. 


LETTER  THE  TWENTY-FOURTH. 


Revolution  in  Mexico  —  Gomez  Farias  and  General  Urrea  — 
The  F ederalists  —  The  President  imprisoned  —  F iring  —  Can¬ 
non —  First  news  —  Escape  —  Proclamation  of  the  Govern¬ 
ment —  Cannonading  —  Count  C - a  — Houses  deserted  — 

Countess  del  V - e  —  Proclamation  of  the  Federalists  —  Cir¬ 

cular  of  the  F ederalists  —  Scarcity  of  provisions  —  Bursting  of 
a  shell  —  Refugees — Dr.  Plan — Young  Lady  shot  —  Gomez 
Farias  —  Rumors  —  Address  of  Gomez  Farias  —  Balls  and 

Bullets  —  Visit  from  the - Minister  —  Arrival  of  Monsieur 

de -  — Expected  attack — Skirmish  —  Appearance  of  the 

street — San  Cosme — General -  — The  Count  de  B - 

—  More  rumors  —  Suspense  —  Cannonading  —  Government 
bulletin  —  Plan  of  the  rebels  defeated  —  Proclamation  of  the 
President  —  Of  General  Valencia  —  Maternal  affection  — 
Fresh  reports  —  Families  leaving  the  city — Letter  from  Santa 
Anna  —  Bustamante’s  letter  when  imprisoned  —  Propositions 

—  Refusal  —  Tacubaya  —  Archbishop  —  Fresh  proposals  — 
Refusal  —  Second  letter  from  Santa  Anna  —  Government 
bulletin  —  Proclamations  —  An  awkward  mistake  —  The  Arch¬ 
bishop  visits  the  President  —  Conclusion  of  the  Revolution  — 
Government  newspaper  —  Circulars. 


July  15th. 

Revolution  in  Mexico  !  or  Pronunciamiento  as  they 
call  it.  The  storm  which  has  for  some  time  been 
brewing,  has  burst  forth  at  last.  Don  Valentin  Go¬ 
mez  Farias  and  the  banished  General  Urrea  have 
pronounced  for  federalism.  At  two  this  morning, 
joined  by  the  fifth  battalion  and  the  regiment  of 
comercio,  they  took  up  arms,  set  off'  for  the  palace, 


REVOLUTION. 


349 


surprised  the  President  in  his  bed,  and  took  him 
prisoner.  Our  first  information  was  a  message,  ar¬ 
riving  on  the  part  of  the  government,  desiring  the  at¬ 
tendance  of  our  two  old  soldiers,  who  put  on  their 
old  uniforms,  and  set  off  quite  pleased.  Next  came 

our  friend  Don  M - del  C - o,  who  advised  us 

to  haul  out  the  Spanish  colors,  that  they  might  be  in 
readiness  to  fly  on  the  balcony,  in  case  of  necessity. 
Little  by  little,  more  Spaniards  arrived  with  different 
reports  as  to  the  state  of  things.  Some  say  that  it 
will  all  end  in  a  few  hours  —  others  that  it  will  be  a 
long  and  bloody  contest.  Some  are  assured  that  it 
will  merely  terminate  in  a  change  of  ministry  — 
others,  that  Santa  Anna  will  come  on  directly  and 
usurp  the  Presidency.  At  all  events,  General  Va¬ 
lencia,  at  the  head  of  the  government  troops, .  is 
about  to  attack  the  pronunciados,  who  are  in  pos¬ 
session  of  the  palace . 

The  firing  has  begun  !  People  come  running  up 
the  street.  The  Indians  are  hurrying  back  to  their 
villages  in  double-quick  trot.  As  we  are  not  in  the 
centre  of  the  city,  our  position  for  the  present  is  very 
safe,  all  the  cannon  being  directed  towards  the 
palace.  All  the  streets  near  the  square  are  planted 
with  cannon,  and  it  is  pretended  that  the  revolu¬ 
tionary  party  are  giving  arms  to  the  leperos.  The 
cannon  are  roaring  now.  All  along  the  street,  peo¬ 
ple  are  standing  on  the  balconies,  looking  anxiously 
in  the  direction  of  the  palace,  or  collected  in  groups 
before  the  doors,  and  the  azoteas  which  are  out  of 
the  line  of  fire,  are  covered  with  men.  They  are  ring¬ 
ing  the  tocsin  —  things  seem  to  be  getting  serious. 

vol.  i.  30 


350 


FIRING,  ETC. 


9  o'clock,  P.  M.  —  Continuation  of  firing  without 
interruption.  I  have  spent  the  day  standing  on  the 
balcony,  looking  at  the  smoke,  and  listening  to  the 
different  rumors.  Gomez  Farias  has  been  pro¬ 
claimed  President  by  his  party.  The  streets  near  the 
Square  are  said  to  be  strewed  with  dead  and  wound¬ 
ed.  There  was  a  terrible  thunder  storm  this  after¬ 
noon.  Mingled  with  the  roaring  of  the  cannon,  it 
sounded  like  a  strife  between  heavenly  and  earthly 
artillery.  We  shall  not  pass  a  very  easy  night,  es¬ 
pecially  without  our  soldiers.  Unfortunately,  there 
is  a  bright  moon,  so  night  brings  no  interruption  to 
the  firing  and  slaughter. 

\6th.  —  Our  first  news  was  brought  very  early 
this  morning  by  the  wife  of  one  of  our  soldiers,  who 
came  in  great  despair,  to  tell  us  that  both  her  hus¬ 
band  and  his  comrade  are  shot,  though  not  killed  — 
that  they  were  amongst  the  first  who  fell ;  and  she 

came  to  entreat  C - n  to  prevent  their  being  sent 

to  the  hospital.  It  is  reported  that  Bustamante  has 
escaped,  and  that  he  fought  his  way  sword-in-hand 
through  the  soldiers  who  guarded  him  in  his  apart¬ 
ment.  Almonte  at  all  events  is  at  the  head  of  his 
troops.  The  balls  have  entered  many  houses  in  the 
Square.  It  must  be  terribly  dangerous  for  those  who 
live  there,  and  amongst  others,  for  our  friend  Senor 
Tagle,  Director  of  the  Monte  Pio,  and  his  family. 

They  have  just  brought  the  Government  Bulletin, 
which  gives  the  following  statement  of  the  circum¬ 
stances  :  “  Yesterday,  at  midnight,  Urrea,  with  a 
handful  of  troops  belonging  to  the  garrison  and  its 
neighborhood,  took  possession  of  the  National  Palace, 


GOVERNMENT  BULLETIN. 


351 


surprising  the  guard,  and  committing  the  incivility 
of  imprisoning  His  Excellency  the  President,  Don 
Anastasio  Bustamante,  the  Commander-in-chief,  the 
Mayor  de  la  Plaza,  and  other  chiefs.  Don  Gabriel 
Valencia,  chief  of  the  plana  mayor  (the  staff),  General 
Don  Antonio  Mozo,  and  the  Minister  of  War,  Don 
Juan  Nepomuceno  Almonte,  re-united  in  the  citadel, 
prepared  to  attack  the  pronunciados,  who,  arming  the 
lowest  populace,  took  possession  of  the  towers  of  the 
Cathedral,  and  of  some  of  the  highest  edifices  in  the 
centre  of  the  city.  Although  summoned  to  surren¬ 
der,  at  two  in  the  afternoon  firing  began,  and  con¬ 
tinued  till  midnight,  recommencing  at  five  in  the 
morning,  and  only  ceasing  at  intervals.  The  Colonel 
of  the  sixth  regiment,  together  with  a  considerable  part 
of  his  corps,  who  were  in  the  barracks  of  the  Palace, 
escaped  and  joined  the  government  troops,  who  have 
taken  the  greatest  part  of  the  positions  near  the 
Square  and  the  Palace.  His  Excellency,  the  Presi¬ 
dent,  with  a  part  of  the  troops  which  had  pronounced 
in  the  Palace,  made  his  escape  on  the  morning  of  the 
sixteenth,  putting  himself  at  the  head  of  the  troops 
who  have  remained  faithful  to  their  colors,  and  at 
night  published  the  following  proclamation.” 

“  The  President  of  the  Republic  to  the  Mexican  Nation. 

“  Fellow-Citizens  :  —  The  seduction  which  has 
spread  over  a  very  small  part  of  the  people  and  garri¬ 
son  of  this  capital ;  the  forgetfulness  of  honor  and  duty, 
have  caused  the  defection  of  a  few  soldiers,  whose 
misconduct  up  to  this  hour  has  been  thrown  into 


352 


THE  PRESIDENT  TO  THE  NATION. 


confusion  by  the  valiant  behavior  of  the  greatest  part 
of  the  chiefs,  officers  and  soldiers,  who  have  intrep¬ 
idly  followed  the  example  of  the  valiant  general-in¬ 
chief  of  the  plana  mayor  of  the  army.  The  govern¬ 
ment  was  not  ignorant  of  the  machinations  that  were 
carrying  on  ;  their  authors  were  well  known  to  it,  and 
it  foresaw  that  the  gentleness  and  clemency  which  it 
had  hitherto  employed,  in  order  to  disarm  them,  would 
be  corresponded  to  with  ingratitude. 

“This  line  of  policy  has  caused  the  nation  to  remain 
headless  ( acefala ),  for  some  hours,  and  public  tran¬ 
quillity  to  be  disturbed  ;  but  my  liberty  being  restored, 
the  dissidents,  convinced  of  the  evils  which  have  been 
and  may  be  caused  by  these  tumults,  depend  upon  a 
reconciliation  for  their  security.  The  government 
will  remember  that  they  are  misled  men,  belonging  to 
the  great  Mexican  family,  but  not  for  this  will  it  for¬ 
get  how  much  they  have  forfeited  their  rights  to  re¬ 
spect  ;  nor  what  is  due  to  the  great  bulk  of  the  nation. 
Public  tranquillity  will  be  restored  in  a  few  hours  ; 
the  laws  will  immediately  recover  their  energy,  and 
the  government  will  see  them  obeyed. 

“  Anastasio  Bustamante. 

“Mexico,  July  16tli,  1840.” 

A  roar  of  cannon  from  the  Palace,  which  made  the 
house  shake  and  the  windows  rattle,  and  caused  me 
to  throw  a  blot  over  the  President’s  good  name,  seems 
the  answer  to  this  proclamation. 

17^/t. —  The  state  of  things  is  very  bad.  Cannon 
planted  all  along  the  streets,  and  soldiers  firing  indis¬ 
criminately  on  all  who  pass.  Count  C - a  slightly 


COUNTER-PROCLAMATION. 


353 


wounded,  and  carried  to  his  country-house  at  Tacu- 
baya.  Two  Spaniards  have  escaped  from  their  house, 
into  which  the  balls  were  pouring,  and  have  taken 

refuge  here.  The  E - family  have  left  their  house, 

which  is  in  the  very  centre  of  the  affray,  cannons 
planted  before  their  door,  and  all  their  windows  al¬ 
ready  smashed.  Indeed,  nearly  all  the  houses  in  that 
quarter  are  abandoned.  We  are  living  here  like 

prisoners  in  a  fortress.  The  Countess  del  Y - e, 

whose  father  was  shot  in  a  former  revolution,  had 
just  risen  this  morning,  when  a  cannon-ball  entered 
the  wall  close  by  the  side  of  her  bed,  and  burst  in 
the  mattress. 

As  there  are  two  sides  to  every  story,  listen  to  the 
proclamation  of  the  chief  of  the  rebels. 

“  Senor  Valentin  Gomez  Farias  to  the  Mexican 
People. 

“Fellow-citizens  —  We  present  to  the  civilized 
world  two  facts,  which,  while  they  will  cover  with 
eternal  glory  the  Federal  army  and  the  heroic  inhab¬ 
itants  of  this  capital,  will  hand  down  with  execration 
and  infamy,  to  all  future  generations,  the  name  of 
General  Bustamante  ;  this  man  without  faith,  break¬ 
ing  his  solemnly-pledged  word,  after  being  put  at 
liberty  by  an  excess  of  generosity  ;  for  having  prom¬ 
ised  to  take  immediate  steps  to  bring  about  a  nego¬ 
tiation  of  peace,  upon  the  honorable  basis  which  was 
proposed  to  him,  he  is  now  converted  into  the  chief 
of  an  army,  the  enemy  of  the  Federalists ;  and  has 
beheld,  with  a  serene  countenance,  this  beautiful 
30* 


354 


COUNTER-PROCLAMATION. 


capital  destroyed,  a  multitude  of  families  drowned  in 
tears,  and  the  death  of  many  citizens  ;  not  only  of 
the  combatants,  but  of  those  who  have  taken  no  part 
in  the  struggle.  Amongst  these  must  be  counted  an 
unfortunate  woman  enceinte,  who  was  killed  as  she 
was  passing  the  palace  gates  under  the  belief  that  a 
parley  having  come  from  his  camp,  the  firing  would 
be  suspended,  as  in  fact  it  was  on  our  side.  This 
government,  informed  of  the  misfortune,  sent  for  the 
husband  of  the  deceased,  and  ordered  twenty-five 
dollars  to  be  given  him;  but  the  unfortunate  man, 
though  plunged  in  grief,  declared  that  twelve  were 
sufficient  to  supply  his  wants.  Such  was  the  horror 
inspired  by  the  atrocious  conduct  of  the  ex-govern¬ 
ment  of  Bustamante,  that  this  sentiment  covered  up 
and  suffocated  all  the  others. 

“  Another  fact,  of  which  we  shall  with  difficulty 
find  an  example  in  history,  is  the  following.  The 
day  that  the  firing  began,  being  in  want  of  some  im¬ 
plements  of  war,  it  was  necessary  to  cause  an  iron 
case  to  be  opened,  belonging  to  Don  Stanislaus 
Flores,  in  which  he  had  a  considerable  sum  of  money 
in  different  coin,  besides  his  most  valuable  effects. 
Thus,  all  that  the  government  could  do,  was  to  make 
this  known  to  the  owner,  Senor  Flores,  in  order  that 
he  might  send  a  person  of  confidence  to  take  charge 
of  his  interests,  making  known  what  was  wanting, 
that  he  might  be  immediately  paid.  The  pertinacity 
of  the  firing  prevented  Senor  Flores  from  naming  a 
commissioner  for  four  days,  and  then,  although  the 
case  has  been  open,  and  no  one  has  taken  charge  of 
it,  the  commissioner  has  made  known  officially  that 


CIRCULAR. 


355 


nothing  is  taken  from  it  but  the  implements  of  war 
which  were  sent  for.  Glory  in  yourselves,  Mexicans  ! 
The  most  polished  nation  of  the  earth,  illustrious 
France,  has  not  presented  a  similar  fact.  The  Mex¬ 
icans  possess  heroic  virtues,  which  will  raise  them 
above  all  the  nations  in  the  world.  This  is  the  only 
ambition  of  your  fellow-citizen, 

“Valentin  Gomez  Farias. 

“  God,  Liberty,  and  Federalism. 

“  Mexico  July  17th,  1840.” 


Besides  this,  a  circular  has  been  sent  to  all  the 
governors  and  commandants  of  the  different  depart¬ 
ments,  from  the  “  Palace  of  the  Federal  Provisional 
Government,”  to  this  effect : 

“  The  Citizen  Jose  Urrea,  with  the  greater  part  of 
the  garrison  of  the  capital,  and  the  whole  population, 
pronounced  early  on  the  morning  of  this  day,  for  the 
reestablishment  of  the  Federal  system,  adopting  in 
the  interim  the  Constitution  of  1824,  whilst  it  is  re¬ 
formed  by  a  Congress  which  they  are  about  to  con¬ 
voke  to  that  effect ;  and  I,  having  been  called,  in 
order  that  at  this  juncture  I  should  put  myself  at  the 
head  of  the  government,  communicate  it  to  your  Ex¬ 
cellency,  informing  you  at  the  same  time,  that  the 
object  of  the  Citizen  Urrea,  instead  of  reestablishing 
the  Federal  system,  has  been  to  reunite  all  the  Mex¬ 
icans,  by  proclaiming  toleration  of  all  opinions,  and 
respect  for  the  lives,  properties,  and  interests  of  all. 

“  God,  Liberty,  and  Federalism. 

“  Valentin  Gomez  Farias. 

“  National  Palace  of  Mexico,  15th  July,  1840.” 


356 


CANNONADING. 


18^.  —  There  is  a  great  scarcity  of  provisions  in 
the  centre  of  the  city,  as  the  Indians,  who  bring  in 
everything  from  the  country,  are  stopped.  We  have 
laid  in  a  good  stock  of  comestibles,  though  it  is  very 
unlikely  that  any  difficulties  will  occur  in  our  direc¬ 
tion.  While  I  am  writing,  the  cannon  are  roaring 
almost  without  interruption,  and  the  sound  is  any¬ 
thing  but  agreeable,  though  proving  the  respect  en¬ 
tertained  by  Farias  for  “  the  lives,  properties  and 
interests  of  all.”  We  see  the  smoke,  but  are  entirely 
out  of  the  reach  of  the  fire. 

I  had  just  written  these  words,  when  the  Senora 

- ,  who  lives  opposite,  called  out  to  me  that  a 

shell  has  just  fallen  in  her  garden,  and  that  her  hus¬ 
band  had  but  time  to  save  himself.  The  cannon 
directed  against  the  palace  kill  people  in  their  beds, 
in  streets  entirely  out  of  that  direction,  while  this 
ball  intended  for  the  citadel,  takes  its  flight  to  San 
Cosme  !  Both  parties  seem  to  be  fighting  the  city  in¬ 
stead  of  each  other ;  and  this  manner  of  firing  from 
behind  parapets,  and  from  the  tops  of  houses  and 
steeples,  is  decidedly  safer  for  the  soldiers  than  for 
the  inhabitants.  It  seems  also  a  novel  plan  to  keep 
up  a  continual  cannonading  by  night,  and  to  rest 
during  a  great  part  of  the  day.  One  would  think 
that  were  the  guns  brought  nearer  the  palace,  the 
affair  would  be  sooner  over. 

Late  last  night,  a  whole  family  came  here  for  pro¬ 
tection  ;  the  Senora  -  with  - ,  nurse  and 

baby,  &c.  She  had  remained  very  quietly  in  her 
own  house,  in  spite  of  broken  windows,  till  the  bul¬ 
lets  whizzed  past  her  baby’s  bed.  This  morning, 


ACCIDENTS. 


357 


everything  remains  as  it  was  the  first  day  —  the 
President  in  the  citadel,  the  rebels  in  the  palace. 
The  government  are  trying  to  hold  out  until  troops 
arrive  from  Puebla.  In  an  interval  of  firing,  the 

- Secretary  contrived  to  make  his  way  here  this 

morning.  The  English  Minister’s  house  is  also 
filled  with  families,  it  being  a  little  out  of  the  line  of 
fire.  Those  who  live  in  the  Square,  and  in  the  Calle 
San  Francisco  are  most  exposed,  and  the  poor  shop¬ 
keepers  in  the  Parian,  are  in  a  state  of  great  and 
natural  trepidation.  I  need  not  say  that  the  shops 
are  all  shut. 

19 th.  —  Dr.  Plan,  a  famous  French  physician,  was 
shot  this  morning,  as  he  was  coming  out  of  the 
palace,  and  his  body  has  just  been  carried  past  our 
door  into  the  house  opposite. 

The  Senorita  -  having  imprudently  stepped 

out  on  her  balcony,  her  house  being  in  a  very  ex¬ 
posed  street,  a  pistol  ball  entered  her  side,  and  passed 
through  her  body.  She  is  still  alive,  but  it  seems 
impossible  that  she  can  recover.  The  Prior  of  San 
Joaquin,  riding  by  just  now,  stopt  below  the  win¬ 
dows  to  tell  us  that  he  fears  we  shall  not  remain 
long  here  in  safety,  as  the  pronunciados  have  at¬ 
tacked  the  Convent  of  La  Concepcion,  at  the  end  of 
the  street. 

My  writing  must  be  very  desultory.  Impossible 
to  fix  one’s  attention  on  anything.  We  pass  our 
time  on  the  balconies,  listening  to  the  thunder  of  the 
cannon,  looking  at  the  different  parties  of  troops 
riding  by,  receiving  visiters,  who  in  the  intervals  of 
the  firing,  venture  out  to  bring  us  the  last  reports  — 


358 


GOMEZ  FARIAS. 


wondering,  speculating,  fearing,  hoping,  and  exces¬ 
sively  tired  of  the  whole  affair. 

Gomez  Farias,  the  prime  mover  of  this  revolution, 
is  a  distinguished  character,  one  of  the  notabilities  of 
the  country,  and  has  always  maintained  the  same 
principles,  standing  up  for  “  rapid  and  radical  re¬ 
form.”  He  is  a  native  of  Guadalajara,  and  his 
literary  career  is  said  to  have  been  brilliant.  He  is 
also  said  to  be  a  man  of  an  ardent  imagination  and 
great  energy.  His  name  has  appeared  in  every  pub¬ 
lic  event.  He  first  aided  in  the  cause  of  Inde¬ 
pendence,  then,  when  deputy  for  Zacatecas,  shewed 
much  zeal  in  favor  of  Yturbide  —  was  afterwards  a 
warm  partisan  of  the  federal  cause  —  contributed  to 
the  election  of  General  Victoria  ;  afterwards  to  that 
of  Pedraza  —  took  an  active  part  in  the  political 
changes  of  ’33  and  ’34,  detests  the  Spaniards,  and 
during  his  Presidency  endeavored  to  abolish  the 
privileges  of  the  clergy  and  troops  —  suppressed 
monastic  institutions — granted  absolute  liberty  of 
opinion — abolished  the  laws  against  the  liberty  of 
the  press  —  created  many  literary  institutions  ;  and 
whatever  were  his  political  errors,  and  the  ruthless¬ 
ness  with  which  in  the  name  of  liberty  and  reform 
he  marched  to  the  attainment  of  his  object,  without 
respect  for  the  most  sacred  things,  he  is  generally 
allowed  to  be  a  man  of  integrity,  and  even  by  his 
enemies,  an  enthusiast,  who  deceives  himself  as  much 
as  others.  Now  in  the  hopes  of  obtaining  some  un¬ 
certain  and  visionary  good,  and  even  while  declaring 
his  horror  of  civil  war  and  bloodshed,  he  has  risen  in 
rebellion  against  the  actual  government,  and  is  the 


REPORTS,  ETC. 


359 


cause  of  the  cruel  war  now  raging,  not  in  the 
open  fields  or  even  in  the  scattered  suburbs,  but  in 
the  very  heart  of  a  populous  city. 

This  morning  all  manner  of  opinions  are  afloat. 
Some  believe  that  Santa  Anna  has  started  from  his 
retreat  at  Manga  de  Clavo,  and  will  arrive  to-day ; 
will  himself  swallow  the  disputed  oyster,  (the  presi¬ 
dential  chair)  and  give  each  of  the  combatants  a 
shell  a-piece.  Some  that  a  fresh  supply  of  troops 
for  the  government  will  arrive  to-day,  and  others  that 
the  rebels  must  eventually  triumph.  Among  the 
reports  which  I  trust  may  be  classed  as  doubt¬ 
ful,  is  that  General  Urrea  has  issued  a  proclama¬ 
tion,  promising  three  hours  pillage  to  all  who  join 
him.  Then  will  be  the  time  for  testing  the  virtues 
of  all  diplomatic  drapeaux.  In  the  midst  of  all,  here 
comes  another 

“  Address  of  His  Excellency,  Senor  Don  Valentin , 
Gomez  Farias,  charged  provisionally  with  the  gov¬ 
ernment  of  Mexico,  and  of  the  General-in-Chief 
of  the  Federal  army  to  the  troops  under  his  com¬ 
mand. 

“  Companions  in  arms  :  No  one  has  ever  resisted  a 
people  who  fight  for  their  liberty  and  who  defend 
their  sacred  rights.  Your  heroic  endeavors  have 
already  reduced  our  unjust  aggressors  almost  to  com¬ 
plete  nullity.  Without  infantry  to  cover  their  para¬ 
pets,  without  artillery  to  fire  their  pieces,  without 
money,  without  credit,  and  without  support,  they 
already  make  their  last  useless  efforts.  On  our  side, 


360 


ADDRESS  OF  FARIAS. 


on  the  contrary,  all  is  in  abundance,  ( sobra )  men, 
arms,  ammunition,  and  money,  and  above  all,  the  in¬ 
vincible  support  of  opinion  ;  —  while  the  parties  which 
adhere  to  our  pronunciamento  in  all  the  cities  out  of 
the  capital,  and  the  assistance  which  within  this  very 
city  is  given  by  every  class  of  society  to  those  who 
are  fighting  for  the  rights  of  the  people,  offer  guaran¬ 
tees  which  they  will  strictly  fulfil  to  all  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  the  country,  natives  as  well  as  foreigners. 
Our  enemies,  in  the  delirium  of  their  impotence, 
have  had  recourse  to  their  favorite  weapon,  calumny. 
In  a  communication  directed  to  us,  they  have  had 
the  audacity  to  accuse  you  of  having  attacked  some 
property.  Miserable  wretches!  No  —  the  soldiers 
of  the  people  are  not  robbers ;  the  cause  of  liberty 
is  very  noble,  and  its  defence  will  not  be  stained  by 
a  degrading  action.  This  is  the  answrer  given  to 
your  calumniators  by  your  chiefs,  who  are  as  much 
interested  in  your  reputation  as  in  their  own.  Sol¬ 
diers  of  the  people  !  let  valor,  as  well  as  all  other 
civic  virtues,  shine  in  your  conduct,  that  you  may 
never  dim  the  renown  of  valiant  soldiers  and  of  good 
citizens.  “Valentin  Gomez  Farias. 

“Jose  Urrea.” 

We  hear  that  two  shells  have  fallen  into  the  house 

of  Sehor - ,  who  has  a  pretty  wife  and  a  number 

of  children,  and  that  his  azotea  is  occupied  by  the 
federalist  troops.  Fortunately,  these  grenades  burst 
in  the  patio  of  his  house,  and  no  one  was  injured. 
The  chief  danger  for  those  who  are  not  actually  en¬ 
gaged  in  this  affair,  is  from  these  bullets  and  shells, 


CHURCHES  CLOSED. 


361 


which  come  rattling  into  all  the  houses.  We  have 
messages  from  various  people  whom  we  invited  to 
come  here  for  safety,  that  they  would  gladly  accept 
our  offer,  but  are  unwilling  to  leave  their  houses  ex¬ 
posed  to  pillage,  and  do  not  dare  to  pass  through  the 
streets.  So  our  numbers  have  not  increased  as  yet. 

You  may  suppose,  that  although  this  is  Sunday, 
there  is  no  mass  in  the  churches.  The  Prior  of  San 
Fernando,  who  has  just  sent  us  round  some  colossal 
cauliflowers  and  other  fine  vegetables  from  his  gar¬ 
den,  permits  us  to  come  to  his  convent  for  safety, 

should  anything  occur  here . I  am  afraid 

he  would  lodge  the  womankind  in  some  outhouse. 

I  had  written  thus  far,  when  we  received  a  visit 

from  the  Baron  de - , - Minister,  who,  living 

in  a  very  exposed  situation,  near  the  palace,  requests  us 

to  receive  his  Secretary  of  Legation,  M.  de - , 

who  is  dangerously  ill  of  typhus  fever,  as  the  doc¬ 
tors,  no  doubt  warned  by  the  fate  of  poor  Dr.  Plan, 
fear  to  pass  into  that  street  which  is  blocked  up  with 
troops  and  cannon.  Some  people  fear  a  universal 
sacking  of  the  city,  especially  in  the  event  of  the 
triumph  of  the  federalist  party.  The  ministers  seem 
to  have  great  confidence  in  their  flags  —  but  I  can¬ 
not  help  thinking  that  a  party  of  armed  leperos 
would  be  no  respectors  of  persons  or  privileges  !  As 
yet  our  position  continues  very  safe.  We  have  the 
Alameda  between  us  and  the  troops ;  the  palace,  the 
square,  and  the  principal  streets  being  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Alameda  ;  and  this  street,  a  branch  of  the 
great  Calle  de  Tacuba  stretching  out  beyond  it.  I 
write  more  to  occupy  my  thoughts  than  in  hopes  of 

31 


YOL.  I. 


362 


FAMILIES  LEAVING  THE  CITY. 


interesting  you  ;  for  I  am  afraid  you  will  almost  be 
tired  of  this  revolutionary  letter.  As  a  clever  Mexi¬ 
can,  the  Marquis  of - ,  says — “some  years  ago 

we  gave  forth  cries,  {grit os)  —  that  was  in  the  in¬ 
fancy  of  our  independence  —  now  we  begin  to  pro¬ 
nounce  (pronunciarnos.)  Heaven  knows  when  we 
shall  be  old  enough  to  speak  plain,  so  that  people 
may  know  what  we  mean  !  ” 

Sunday  Evening.  —  Monsieur  de - has  arrived, 

and  is  not  worse.  We  have  unexpectedly  had  twelve 
persons  to  dinner  to-day.  The  news  to-night  is,  that 
the  government  troops  have  arrived,  and  that  a  great 
attack  will  be  made  by  them  to-morrow  on  the  rebels 
in  the  palace,  which  will  probably  bring  matters  to  a 
conclusion.  Some  of  our  guests  are  sitting  up,  and 
others  lying  down  on  sofas  without  undressing.  I 
prefer  being  comfortable,  so  good-night. 

20th.  —  We  were  astonished  this  morning  at  the 
general  tranquillity,  and  concluded  that,  instead  of 
having  attacked  the  rebels,  the  government  was  hold¬ 
ing  a  parley  with  them,  but  a  note  from  the  English 
Minister  informs  us  that  a  skirmish  has  taken  place 
between  the  two  parties  at  one  of  the  gates  of  the 
city,  in  which  the  government  party  lias  triumphed. 
So  far  the  news  is  good. 

Our  street  has  a  most  picturesque  and  lively  ap¬ 
pearance  this  morning.  It  is  crowded  with  Indians 
from  the  country,  bringing  in  their  fruit  and  vegeta¬ 
bles  for  sale,  and  establishing  a  temporary  market  in 
front  of  the  church  of  San  Fernando.  Innumerable 
carriages,  drawn  by  mules,  are  passing  along,  packed 
inside  and  out,  full  of  families  hurrying  to  the  coun- 


GENERAL 


363 


try  with  their  children  and  movables.  Those  who 
are  poorer,  are  making  their  way  out  on  foot  —  men 
and  women  carrying  mattresses,  and  little  children 
following  with  baskets  and  bird-cages  —  carts  are 
passing,  loaded  with  chairs  and  tables  and  beds  and 
all  manner  of  old  furniture,  uprooted  for  the  first 
time  no  doubt  since  many  years  —  all  are  taking  ad¬ 
vantage  of  this  temporary  cessation  of  firing  to  make 
their  escape.  Our  stables  are  full  of  mules  and 
horses  sent  us  by  our  friends  in  the  centre  of  the 
city,  where  all  supplies  of  water  are  cut  off.  Another 
physician,  a  Spaniard,  has  just  been  shot! 

Every  room  at  San  Cosme  and  in  all  the  suburbs, 
is  taken.  In  some  rooms  are  numbers  of  people, 
obliged  to  sleep  upon  mats,  too  glad  to  have  escaped 
from  the  danger,  to  care  for  any  inconvenience.  A 
quantity  of  plate  and  money  and  diamonds  were  sent 
here  this  morning,  which  we  have  been  hiding  in 
different  parts  of  the  house  ;  but  they  say  that  in 
cases  of  pillage,  the  plunderers  always  search  the 
most  impossible  places,  pulling  up  the  boards,  brick 
floors,  &c.,  ripping  up  the  mattresses  and  so  on,  so  I 
believe  there  is  no  use  in  concealing  anything.  Near 
us  lives  a  celebrated  General,  on  whose  political 
opinions  there  seems  much  doubt,  as  he  has  joined 
neither  party,  and  has  become  invisible  ever  since 
this  affair  commenced.  He  is  a  showy,  handsome 
man,  with  a  good  deal  of  superficial  instruction,  and 
exceedingly  vain  of  his  personal  advantages.  I  am 
quite  sure  that,  having  allowed  him  to  be  a  fine-look¬ 
ing  man,  he  would  forgive  me  for  saying  that  his 
character  is  frivolous,  and  that  his  principles,  both 


364 


COUNT  DE  B 


moral  and  political,  are  governed  entirely  by  that 
which  best  suits  his  own  advantage.  .  .  . 

The  Count  de  B - ,  Secretary  to  the  French 

Legation,  mounted  his  horse  last  evening,  and  like  a 
true  young  Frenchman,  set  off  to  pay  a  visit  to  a 
pretty  girl  of  his  acquaintance  ;  passing  through  the 
most  dangerous  streets,  and  particularly  conspicuous 
by  his  singular  dress,  good  looks,  and  moustaches. 
He  had  not  gone  far,  before  he  was  surrounded  by 
some  dozen  of  leperos  with  knives,  who  would  no 
doubt  have  robbed  and  dispatched  him,  but  that,  in 
tearing  off  his  sarajpe,  they  discovered  his  uniform, 
and  not  being  very  skilled  in  military  accoutrements, 
concluded  him  to  be  an  officer  on  the  part  of  the 
government.  They  being  on  the  federalist  side, 
hurried  with  their  prize  to  the  palace,  where  he  was 
thrown  into  prison,  and  obliged  to  remain  until  some 
of  the  officers  came  to  see  the  prisoner,  and  recog¬ 
nised  him,  much  to  their  astonishment. 

We  are  now  going  to  dine  with  what  appetite  we 
may,  which  is  generally  pretty  good. 

Ten  o'clock ,  p.  m.  —  We  ventured  out  after  dinner 
to  take  a  turn  in  the  direction  opposite  the  city,  and 
met  various  parties  of  ladies  who,  as  they  cannot  use 
their  carriages  at  present,  were  thankful  to  escape 
from  their  temporary  and  crowded  dwellings,  and  were 
actually  taking  exercise  on  foot ;  when  we  were  en¬ 
countered  by  people  full  of  the  intelligence,  that  the 
great  attack  on  the  palace  is  to  be  made  this  evening, 
and  were  advised  to  hurry  home.  We  were  also 
assured  that  a  party  of  leperos,  headed  by  their  long- 
bearded  captain,  an  old  robber  of  the  name  of  Castro, 


CANNONADING. 


365 


had  passed  the  night  before  our  door.  Before  we 
could  reach  home,  the  firing  began,  and  we  have 
passed  several  hours  in  a  state  of  great  suspense ; 
amidst  the  roaring  of  the  cannon,  the  shouting  of 
the  troops,  the  occasional  cries  of  those  who  are 
wounded,  and  to  make  everything  appear  more  lugu¬ 
brious,  the  most  awful  storm  of  thunder  and  rain  I 

almost  ever  heard.  The  Senora  de - -s  brother, 

is  a  captain  in  the  government  service,  and  he  and 
his  regiment  have  distinguished  themselves  very  much 
during  these  last  few  days,  consequently  she  is  dread¬ 
fully  uneasy  to  night. 

The  gentlemen  seem  inclined  to  pass  the  night 
in  talking.  We  think  of  lying  down,  and  sleeping 
if  we  can.  I  hope  nothing  will  happen  in  the  night, 
for  everything  seems  worse  in  the  darkness  and  con¬ 
sequent  confusion. 

21st.  — After  passing  a  sleepless  night,  listening  to 
the  roaring  of  cannon,  and  figuring  to  ourselves  the 
devastation  that  must  have  taken  place,  we  find  to 
our  amazement  that  nothing  decisive  has  occurred. 
The  noise  last  night  was  mere  skirmishing,  and  half 
the  cannons  were  fired  in  the  air.  In  the  darkness 
there  was  no  mark.  But  though  the  loss  on  either 
side  is  so  much  less  than  might  have  been  expected, 
the  rebels  in  the  palace  cannot  be  very  comfortable,  for 
they  say  that  the  air  is  infected  by  the  number  of 
unburied  dead  bodies  lying  there  ;  indeed  there  are 
many  lying  unburied  on  the  streets,  which  is  enough 
to  raise  a%fever  to  add  to  the  calamitous  state  of 
things. 

The  government  Bulletin  of  to-day  expresses  the 

31* 


366 


SKIRMISH. 


regret  of  the  supreme  magistrate  at  seeing  his  hopes 
of  restoring  peace  frustrated,  and  publishes  the  as¬ 
surances  of  fidelity  which  they  have  received  from 
all  the  departments,  especially  from  Puebla,  Quere- 
taro  and  Vera  Cruz,  in  spite  of  the  extraordinary 
despatches  which  had  there  been  received  from  Fa¬ 
rias,  desiring  them  to  recognise  Urrea  as  minister  of 
war,  and  Don  Manuel  Crecencio  Rejon  as  minister 
of  the  interior  ;  “  which  communications,”  says  the 
commandant  of  Queretaro,  “  produced  in  my  soul 
only  indignation  and  contempt  towards  their  misera¬ 
ble  authors.” 

The  account  of  the  yesterday’s  affair  is  as  follows. 
“  The  pronunciados  in  the  palace,  knowing  that  the 
infantry  which  was  to  come  from  Puebla  to  the  as¬ 
sistance  of  the  government,  was  expected  to  arrive 
yesterday,  endeavored  to  surprise  it  near  the  gate  of 
Saint  Lazarus,  with  a  column  of  infantry  of  two  hun¬ 
dred  in  number,  and  some  cavalry  ;  but  the  brave 
Colonel  Torrejon,  with  eighty  dragoons,  beat  them 
completely,  killing,  wounding  and  taking  many  pris¬ 
oners,  and  pursuing  them  as  far  as  the  Archbishop’s 
Palace.  The  supreme  government,  appreciating  the 
distinguished  services  and  brilliant  conduct  of  the 
aforesaid  Colonel,  have  given  him  the  rank  of  Gen¬ 
eral  of  Brigade.” 

The  President  in  to-day’s  proclamation,  after  de¬ 
claring  that  “  the  beautiful  capital  of  the  Republic  is 
the  theatre  of  war,”  says  “  that  nothing  but  considera¬ 
tion  for  the  lives  and  properties  of  the  inhabitants 
has  been  able  to  contain  the  enthusiasm  of  the  sol¬ 
diers  of  the  nation,  and  to  prevent  them  from  put- 


GENERAL,  VALENCIA  S  DISCOURSE. 


367 


ting  forth  their  whole  force  to  dislodge  the  rebels 
from  the  different  points  of  which  they  have  pos¬ 
sessed  themselves.”  The  President  adds,  “  that  this 
revolt  is  the  more  inexcusable,  as  his  administration 
has  always  been  gentle  and  moderate ;  that  he  has 
economized  the  public  treasure,  respected  the  laws, 
and  that  citizens  of  whatever  opinion  had  always 
enjoyed  perfect  tranquillity  under  his  rule —  that 
constitutional  reforms  were  about  being  realized,  as 
well  as  the  hopes  of  forming  by  them  a  bond  of 
union  between  all  Mexicans.  He  concludes  by  re¬ 
proaching  those  revolutionary  men  who  thus  cause 
the  shedding  of  so  much  innocent  blood. 

The  commander-in-chief,  General  Valencia,  writing 
perhaps  under  some  inspiring  influence,  is  more  fig¬ 
urative  in  his  discourse.  “  Soldiers  of  Liberty  !  ”  he 
exclaims  ;  “  Anarchy  put  out  its  head,  and  your  arms 
drowned  it  in  a  moment.”  This  would  have  been  a 
finer  figure  in  the  days  of  the  great  lakes.  And 
again  he  exclaims  —  “  Mexicans  !  my  heart  feels  itself 
wounded  by  the  deepest  grief,  and  all  humanity  shud¬ 
ders  in  contemplating  the  unsoundable  chaos  of  evils 
in  which  the  authors  of  this  rebellion  have  sunk  the 
incautious  men  whom  they  have  seduced,  in  order 
to  form  with  their  dead  bodies  the  bloody  ladder 
which  was  to  raise  them  to  their  aggrandizement ! 
Already  the  Mexican  people  begin  to  gather  the  bit¬ 
ter  fruits  with  which  these  men  who  blazon  forth 
their  humanity  and  philanthropy  have  always  allured 
them,  feeding  themselves  on  the  blood  of  their  broth¬ 
ers,  and  striking  up  songs  to  the  sad  measure  of 
sobs  and  weeping  !  ”  These  tropes  are  very  striking. 


363 


MATERNAL  AFFECTION. 


All  is  brought  before  us  as  in  a  picture.  We  see 
anarchy  raising  his  rascally  head  above  the  water, 
(most  likely  adorned  with  a  liberty  cap)  and  the 
brave  soldiers  instantly  driving  it  down  again.  We 
behold  Gomez  Farias  and  Urrea  rushing  up  a  ladder 
of  dead  bodies.  And  then  the  Lucrezia  Borgia  kind 
of  scene  that  follows  !  —  alluring  their  victims  with 
bitter  fruit,  (perhaps  with  sour  grapes)  drinking  blood, 
and  singing  horribly  out  of  tune  to  a  running  bass  of 
sobs!  The  teeth  of  humanity  are  set  on  edge  only 
by  reading  it.  Well  may  his  Excellency  add  —  “I 
present  them  to  the  nations  of  the  world  as  an  inim¬ 
itable  model  of  ferocity  and  barbarity  !  ” 

This  morning  General  -  sent  a  few  lines  from 

the  citadel,  where  he  and  the  President  are,  in  which 
he  speaks  with  confidence  of  speedily  putting  down 
the  rebels.  C - n  returned  many  affectionate  mes¬ 

sages,  accompanied  by  a  supply  of  cigars.  They  say 
that  the  greatest  possible  bravery  is  shown  by  the 
boys  of  the  Military  College,  who  are  very  fine  little 
fellows,  and  all  up  in  arms  on  the  side  of  the  govern¬ 
ment.  A  strong  instance  of  maternal  affection  and 
courage  was  shown  by  the  Sehora  G - this  morn¬ 

ing.  Having  received  various  reports  concerning  her 
son,  who  belongs  to  this  college;  first  that  he  was 
wounded ;  then  that  the  wound  was  severe  ;  then 
that  it  was  slight  —  and  being  naturally  extremely 
uneasy  about  him,  she  set  off  alone,  and  on  foot,  at 
five  o’clock  in  the  morning,  without  mentioning  her 
intention  to  any  one,  carrying  with  her  a  basket  of 
provisions  :  passed  across  the  square,  and  through  all 
the  streets  planted  with  cannon,  made  her  way 


CATHEDRAL  JEWELS. 


369 


through  all  the  troops  into  the  citadel;  had  the  satis¬ 
faction  of  finding  her  son  in  perfect  health,  and  re¬ 
turned  home,  just  as  her  husband  and  family  had  be¬ 
come  aware  of  her  absence. 

General  Valencia  is  said  to  have  a  large  party 
amongst  the  soldiers,  who  are  in  favor  of  his  being 
named  President.  It  is  said  that  he  was  yesterday 
riding  up  and  down  in  the  lines  in  a  most  spirited 
manner,  and  rather  unsteady  in  his  saddle.  Some 
rumors  there  are  that  Santa  Anna  has  arrived  at  Pe- 
rote,  but  as  he  travels  in  a  litter,  he  cannot  be  here 
for  some  days,  even  should  this  be  true.  There 
seems  no  particular  reason  to  believe  that  this  will 
end  soon,  and  we  must  remain  shut  up  here  as  pa¬ 
tiently  as  we  can.  In  the  intervals  of  firing,  the  gen¬ 
tlemen  go  out,  but  they  will  not  hear  of  our  doing  so, 
except  sometimes  for  a  few  minutes  in  the  evening, 
and  then  either  thunder  or  firing  sends  us  back. 

Various  people,  and  especially  the  Countess  C - a, 

have  invited  us  to  their  country  places  ;  but  besides 
that  we  are  in  the  safest  part  of  the  city,  and  have 

several  guests,  C - n  does  not  think  it  right  for  him 

to  leave  Mexico.  They  say  that  house-rents  will  rise 
hereabouts,  on  account  of  the  advantages  of  the  locale 
in  cases  of  this  sort. 

Amongst  other  announcements,  the  government 
have  published,  that  the  rebels  have  demanded  that 
the  jewels,  together  with  the  service  of  gold  and  sil¬ 
ver  belonging  to  the  Holy  Cathedral  Church  shall  be 
given  up  to  them,  and  threaten  to  seize  the  whole  by 
force,  should  their  demand  not  be  acceded  to  within 
two  hours.  “It  is  very  probable  that  they  will  do 


370 


PROCLAMATION. 


so,”  adds  the  bulletin  ;  “  thus  adding  a  new  crime  to 
all  they  have  committed.” 

It  is  now  evening,  and  again  they  announce  an 
attack  upon  the  palace,  but  I  do  not  believe  them, 
and  listen  to  the  cannon  with  tolerable  tranquillity. 
All  day,  families  continue  to  pass  by,  leaving  Mexico. 
The  poor  shopkeepers  are  to  be  pitied.  Besides  the 
total  cessation  of  trade,  one  at  least  has  been  shot, 
and  others  plundered.  A  truce  of  two  hours  was 
granted  this  afternoon,  to  bury  the  dead,  who  were 
carried  out  of  the  palace.  Two  of  our  colleagues 
ventured  here  this  morning. 

22 d.  —  The  Government  Bulletin  of  this  morning, 
contains  a  letter  from  Santa  Anna,  dated  Mango  de 
Clavo,  19th  of  July,  informing  the  President,  with 
every  expression  of  loyalty  and  attachment  to  the 
government,  that  according  to  his  desire  he  will  set 
off  this  morning  in  the  direction  of  Perote,  “  at  the 
head  of  a  respectable  division.”  Various  other  as¬ 
surances  of  fidelity  from  Victoria,  from  Galindo,  &.C., 
are  inserted,  with  the  remark  that  the  Mexican  public 
will  thus  see  the  uniformity  and  decision  of  the  whole 
Republic  in  favor  of  order,  and  especially  will  receive 
in  the  communication  of  his  Excellency,  General 
Santa  Anna,  an  unequivocal  proof  of  this  unity  of 
sentiment,  notwithstanding  the  assurances  given  by 
the  rebels  to  the  people,  that  Santa  Anna  would 
either  assist  them,  or  would  take  no  part  at  all  in  the 
affair.  It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  His  Ex¬ 
cellency  is  rather  a  dangerous  umpire. 

The  Governor  Vieyra  published  a  proclamation  to¬ 
day,  declaring  “  Mexico  in  a  state  of  siege.”  It 


president’s  letter. 


371 


seems  to  me  that  we  knew  that  already  !  Upon  the 
whole,  things  are  going  on  well  for  the  government. 
Parties  of  pronunciados  have  been  put  down  in  va¬ 
rious  places.  The  wounded  on  both  sides  have  been 
carried  to  the  hospital  of  San  Andres.  A  battery  is 
now  planted  against  the  palace,  in  the  Calle  de  Pla- 
teros,  where  they  are  at  least  near  enough  to  do  more 
execution  than  before. 

One  circumstance  worthy  of  notice  has  been  pub¬ 
lished  to-day.  The  rebels,  as  you  may  recollect,  de¬ 
clared  that  they  had  permitted  the  President  to  leave 
the  palace,  on  condition  of  his  taking  conciliatory 
measures,  and  that  he  had  agreed  to  favor  their  pre¬ 
tensions.  Now  here  is  Bustamante’s  own  letter,  writ¬ 
ten  in  the  palace,  when  surrounded  by  his  enemies ; 
a  proof,  if  any  were  wanting,  of  his  exceeding  per¬ 
sonal  bravery,  and  perfect  coolness  in  the  midst  of 
danger.  There  is  something  rather  Roman  in  these 
few  lines  — 

“  Ministers  —  I  protest  that  I  find  myself  without 
liberty  and  without  defence,  the  guards  of  the  palace 
having  abandoned  me.  Under  these  circumstances, 
let  no  order  of  mine,  which  is  contrary  to  the  duties 
of  the  post  that  I  occupy,  be  obeyed.  Since,  although 
I  am  resolved  to  die  before  failing  in  my  obligations, 
it  will  not  be  difficult  to  falsify  my  signature.  Let 
this  be  made  known  by  you  to  the  Congress,  and  to 
those  Generals  and  Chiefs  who  preserve  sentiments 
of  honor  and  fidelity. 

“  National  Palace,  July  15th,  1840. 

Anastasio  Bustamante.” 


372 


PROPOSITIONS. 


The  following  propositions  are  made  to  the  gov¬ 
ernment  by  the  rebels. 

Article  1st.  It  not  having  been  the  intention  of 
the  citizen  Jose  Urrea,  and  of  the  troops  under  his 
command,  to  attack  in  any  way  the  person  of  the 
President  of  the  Republic,  General  Anastasio  Busta¬ 
mante,  he  is  replaced  in  the  exercise  of  his  functions. 

2d.  Using  his  faculties  as  President  of  the  Re¬ 
public,  he  will  cause  the  firing  to  cease  on  the  part 
of  the  troops  opposed  to  the  citizen  Urrea;  who  on 
his  side  will  do  the  same. 

3d.  The  President  shall  organize  a  Ministry  de¬ 
serving  of  public  confidence,  and  shall  promise  to 
reestablish  the  observance  of  the  constitution  of 
1824,  convoking  a  Congress  immediately,  for  the  ex¬ 
press  purpose  of  reform. 

“  4th.  Upon  these  foundations,  peace  and  order 
shall  be  reestablished,  and  no  one  shall  be  molested 
for  the  opinions  which  he  has  manifested,  or  for  the 
principles  he  may  have  supported,  all  who  are  in 
prison  for  political  opinions  being  set  at  liberty.” 

Almonte,  in  the  name  of  the  President,  rejected 
these  conditions,  but  offered  to  spare  the  lives  of  the 
pronunciados,  in  case  they  should  surrender  within 
twenty-four  hours.  The  chiefs  of  the  opposite  party 
hereupon  declared  the  door  shut  to  all  reconcilement, 
but  requested  a  suspension  of  hostilities,  which  was 
granted. 

A - is  going  to  drive  me  out  during  this  suspen¬ 
sion,  in  an  open  cab,  to  call  on  the  C - a  family. 

The - s  have  left  their  house,  their  position  having 

become  too  dangerous.  Another  letter  from  General 


NEW  PROPOSITIONS. 


373 


Almonte  this  morning.  Nothing  decisive.  The  streets 
continue  blocked  up  with  cannon,  the  roofs  of  the 
houses  and  churches  are  covered  with  troops,  the  shops 
remain  closed,  and  the  streets  deserted.  People  are 
paying  ounces  for  the  least  morsel  of  room  in  the 
suburbs,  on  the  San  Cosme  side  of  the  city. 

23d.  —  Yesterday,  the  Archbishop  invited  the  chiefs 
of  the  pronunciados  to  a  conference  in  his  Archiepis- 
copal  Palace,  in  order  that  he  might  endeavor,  in  his 
apostolical  character,  to  check  the  effusion  of  blood. 
The  conference  took  place,  and  the  rebels  requested 
a  suspension  of  hostilities,  whilst  the  Prelate  should 
communicate  its  results  to  the  President,  which  was 
granted  by  the  General-in-chief.  But  the  pronuncia¬ 
dos  broke  the  truce,  and  endeavored  to  surprise  the 
President  and  Almonte  in  the  citadel,  passing  over 
the  parapets  in  the  Calle  de  Monterilla.  They  were 
repulsed  with  slaughter,  and  a  fierce  cannonading  was 
kept  up  all  night.  They  have  now  requested  a  par¬ 
ley,  which  is  granted  them.  .  .  . 

In  the  midst  of  all,  there  is  a  communication  from 
the  Governor  of  Morelia,  giving  an  account  of  the 
routing  of  a  band  of  robbers  who  had  attacked  an 
hacienda. 

We  went  to  Tacubaya,  and  met  with  no  other  dan¬ 
ger  but  that  of  being  drenched  wet ;  as  a  daily  water¬ 
ing  of  the  earth,  short  but  severe,  now  takes  place 
regularly.  The  new  propositions  of  the  pronunciados 
are  these : 

1st.  “The  forces  of  both  armies  shall  retire  to  oc¬ 
cupy  places  out  of  the  capital. 

2d.  Both  the  belligerent  parties  shall  agree  that 

32 


VOL.  I. 


374 


NEW  PROPOSITIONS. 


the  constitutional  laws  of  1836  shall  remain  without 
force. 

3d.  A  convention  shall  be  convoked,  establishing 
the  new  constitution,  upon  the  basis  fixed  in  the  Con¬ 
stitutive  Act,  which  will  begin  to  be  in  force  directly. 

4th.  The  elections  of  the  members  of  the  con¬ 
vention,  will  be  verified  according  to  the  laws  by 
which  the  deputies  of  the  Constituent  Congress  were 
directed. 

5th.  His  actual  Excellency,  the  President,  will  form 
a  provisional  government,  he  being  the  chief,  until 
the  foregoing  articles  begin  to  take  effect. 

6th.  No  one  shall  be  molested  for  political  opin¬ 
ions  manifested  since  the  year ’21  until  now:  con¬ 
sequently  the  persons,  employments  and  properties  of 
all  who  have  taken  part  in  this  or  in  the  past  revolu¬ 
tions  shall  be  respected. 

7th.  That  the  first  article  may  take  effect,  the 
government  will  facilitate  all  that  is  necessary  to  both 
parties.” 

The  government  have  refused  these  second  propo¬ 
sitions  ;  and  at  the  same  time  make  known  to  the 
Mexican  world  that  various  deserters  from  the  op¬ 
posite  party  assure  them,  that  the  pronunciados, 
including  the  principal  chiefs,  are  occupied  in  de¬ 
stroying  everything  within  the  palace  —  that  the 
general  archives  and  those  of  the  ministers,  are  torn 
in  pieces,  and  that  the  despatches  are  taken  to  make 
cartouches,  and  so  on.  They  end  by  accusing  them 
of  being  all  united  with  the  most  noted  robbers  and 
public  highwaymen,  such  as  a  Ricardo  Teo,  a  Jose 
Polvorilla,  a  Roman  Chavez,  a  Juan  Vega,  a  Rosas, 


SANTA  ANNA  EXPECTED. 


375 


a  Gnrcilazo,  and  others.  I  put  down  the  names  of 
these  Mexican  Dick  Turpins  and  Paul  Cliffords,  in 
case  we  should  meet  them  some  beau  jour. 

More  forces  have  arrived  from  Puebla  and  Toluca. 
Santa  Anna  is  expected  to  reach  Puebla  to-night, 
and  again  General  Valencia  holds  out  an  invitation 
to  repentance  to  the  “  deceived  men  in  the  palace.” 

25th.  —  A  letter  is  published  to-day  from  Santa 
Anna  to  General  Victoria,  assuring  him  that  what¬ 
ever  personal  considerations  might  have  detained  him 
in  his  country  seat,  he  accepts  with  pleasure  the 
command  of  the  division  going  to  Perote,  and  will 
in  this,  as  in  all  things,  obey  the  orders  of  the  su¬ 
preme  government.  Firing,  with  short  intervals,  con¬ 
tinued  all  yesterday,  during  the  night  and  this  morn¬ 
ing.  Two  mortars  are  placed  in  front  of  the  old 
Acordada,  in  the  direction  of  the  palace,  but  as  yet 
they  have  not  been  used.  There  are  a  crowd  of 
people  examining  them. 

Things  remain  nearly  in  the  same  position  as  be¬ 
fore,  except  that  there  are  more  deserters  from  the 
revolted  party.  A  proclamation  was  issued  by  Ur- 
rea,  accusing  the  government  of  all  the  evils  that 
afflict  the  city,  and  of  all  the  bloodshed  caused  by 
this  civil  war.  Amongst  other  things,  they  complain 
of  the  death  of  Dr.  Plan,  who  was  shot  in  the  Calle  del 
Seminario,  and,  according  to  them,  by  the  government 
troops.  General  Valencia  answers  this  time  without 
figures,  and  with  good  reason,  that  the  responsibility 
of  these  misfortunes  must  be  with  those  who  have 
provoked  the  war. 

In  the  bulletin  of  to-day,  the  government  praise 


376 


GOVERNMENT  BULLETIN. 


their  own  moderation  in  having  taken  off  the  duties 
from  all  provisions  entering  the  capital,  in  order  that 
the  price  might  not  become  too  high,  an  advantage 
in  which  the  pronunciados  themselves  participate  — 
mention  their  exertions  to  supply  the  city  with  water, 
and  their  permission  given  to  the  pronunciados  to 
send  their  wounded  to  the  hospital*  of  San  Andres. 
They  deny  that  the  government  has  any  share  in  the 
evils  that  afflict  the  whole  population,  their  endeavor 
having  ever  been  to  preserve  tranquillity  and  order  ; 
“  but  when  a  handful  of  factious  men  have  taken 
possession  of  part  of  the  city,  no  choice  is  left  them 
but  to  besiege  and  combat  them  until  they  surrender, 
and  not  to  abandon  the  peaceful  citizens  to  pillage 
and  vengeance.”  They  declare  that  they  might  al¬ 
ready  have  subdued  them,  and  are  only  held  back  by 
the  fear  of  involving  in  their  ruin  the  number  of  in¬ 
nocent  persons  who  occupy  the  circumjacent  houses. 
The  policy  of  this  moderation  seems  doubtful,  but 
the  sincerity  of  the  President  is  unimpeachable. 
They  continue  to  observe  upon  the  absurdity  of  this 
handful  of  men  pretending  to  impose  laws  upon  the 
whole  republic,  when  already  the  body  of  the  nation 
have  given  unequivocal  proofs  that  they  have  no 
desire  that  the  questions  relative  to  their  political  in¬ 
stitutions  should  be  decided  by  force  of  arms. 

While  the  pronunciados  declare  on  their  side  that 
“  information  of  pronunciamientos  everywhere”  has 
been  received  by  them,  the  government  remarks  that 
eleven  days  have  now  elapsed,  which  has  given  full 
time  to  all  the  departments  to  declare  themselves  in 
favor  of  those  who  call  themselves  their  representa- 


GENERAL  URREA. 


377 


tives  ;  but  on  the  contrary,  nothing  has  been  received 
but  assurances  of  fidelity,  and  of  support  to  the  gov¬ 
ernment  cause.  I  believe  that  the  English  packet 
will  be  detained  till  the  conclusion  of  this  affair,  but 
should  it  not  be  so,  you  need  not  feel  any  uneasiness 
in  regard  to  us.  Our  house  is  full  of  people,  money, 
jewels  and  plate  —  our  stables  of  horses  and  mules. 
Amongst  the  diamonds,  are  those  of  the  Sehora 

L - ,  which  are  very  fine,  and  there  are  gold 

rouleaus  enough  to  set  up  a  bank  at  San  Agustin. 
Santa  Anna  seems  in  no  hurry  to  arrive.  People 
expect  him  to-morrow,  but  perhaps  he  thinks  the 
hour  has  not  come  for  him. 

2 6th.  —  The  proclamation  of  the  Governor  of  the 
department  of  Jalisco  is  published  to-day,  in  which 
he  observes :  “  The  nation  cannot  forget  that  this 
Urrea,  who  has  brought  so  many  evils  upon  his 
country,  this  faithful  friend  of  Mr.  Carlos  Baudin, 
and  of  the  French  squadron  which  invaded  our  terri¬ 
tory,  for  whom  he  procured  all  the  fresh  provisions 
which  they  required,  is  the  same  man  who  now  es¬ 
capes  from  prison,  to  figure  at  the  head  of  a  tumult¬ 
uous  crowd,  whose  first  steps  were  marked  by  the 
capture  of  his  Excellency  the  President.”  Firing 
continues,  but  without  any  decided  result.  It  is  a 
sound  that  one  does  not  learn  to  hear  with  indiffer¬ 
ence.  There  seems  little  doubt  that  ultimately  the 
government  will  gain  the  day,  but  the  country  will  no 
doubt  remain  for  some  time  in  a  melancholy  state  of 
disorder.  Bills  are  fastened  to-day  on  the  corners  of 
the  streets,  forbidding  all  ingress  or  egress  through 
the  military  lines,  from  six  in  the  evening  till  eight  in 
32* 


378 


AWKWARD  BLUNDER. 


the  morning.  Gentlemen  who  live  near  us,  now 
venture  in  towards  evening,  to  talk  politics  or  play  at 
whist ;  but  generally,  in  the  middle  of  a  game,  some 
report  is  brought  in,  which  drives  them  back  to  their 
houses  and  families  with  all  possible  haste.  Sehor 
- ,  a  young  Spaniard  who  is  living  with  us,  re¬ 
turning  here  late  last  night,  was  challenged  by  the 
sentinels  at  the  corner  of  the  street,  with  the  usual 
“  Quien  viva  ?”  to  which,  being  in  a  brown  study, 
he  mechanically  replied,  “Spain!”  Fortunately, 
the  officer  on  duty  wfas  a  man  of  common  sense  and 
humanity,  and  instead  of  firing,  warned  him  to  take 
better  care  for  the  future. 

Last  night,  the  Archbishop  paid  a  visit  to  the  Pres¬ 
ident,  in  the  convent  of  San  Agustin,  to  intercede  in 
favor  of  the  pronunciados.  The  mortars  have  not 
yet  played  against  the  palace,  owing,  it  is  said,  to  the 
desire  of  the  General-in-chief  to  avoid  the  further 
effusion  of  blood. 

The  tranquillity  of  the  sovereign  people  during  all 
this  period,  is  astonishing.  In  wffiat  other  city  in  the 
world  would  they  not  have  taken  part  with  one  or 
other  side  ?  Shops  shut,  workmen  out  of  employ¬ 
ment,  thousands  of  idle  people,  subsisting,  Heaven 
only  knows  how  —  yet  no  riot,  no  confusion,  appa¬ 
rently  no  impatience.  Groups  of  people  collect  on 
the  streets,  or  stand  talking  before  their  doors,  and 
speculate  upon  probabilities,  but  await  the  decision 
of  their  military  chiefs,  as  if  it  were  a  judgment  from 
heaven,  from  which  it  were  both  useless  and  impious 
to  appeal. 

27 ili.  —  “  Long  live  the  Mexican  Republic !  Long 


CONCLUSION. 


379 


live  the  Supreme  Government !  ”  Thus  begins  the 
Government  Bulletin  of  to-day,  to  which  I  say  Amen  ! 
with  all  my  heart,  since  it  ushers  in  the  news  of  the 
termination  of  the  revolution.  And  what  particularly 
attracts  my  attention,  is,  that  instead  of  the  usual 
stamp,  the  eagle,  serpent  and  nopal,  we  have  to-day 
a  shaggy  pony,  flying  as  never  did  mortal  horse  be¬ 
fore,  his  tail  and  mane  in  a  most  violent  state  of  ex¬ 
citement,  his  four  short  legs  all  in  the  air  at  once,  and 
on  his  back  a  man  in  a  jockey  cap,  furiously  blowing 
a  trumpet,  from  which  issues  a  white  flag,  on  which 
is  printed  “  News  !  ”  in  English  ;  and  apparently  in 
the  act  of  springing  over  a  mile-stone,  on  which  is 
inscribed,  also,  in  English  —  “100  to  New  York!” 

“  We  have,”  says  the  Government,  “  the  grateful 
satisfaction  of  announcing,  that  the  revolution  of  this 
capital  has  terminated  happily.  The  rebellious  troops 
having  offered,  in  the  night,  to  lay  down  arms  upon 
certain  conditions,  His  Excellency,  the  Commander- 
in-chief,  has  accepted  their  proposals  with  convenient 
modifications,  which  will  be  verified  to-day  ;  the  em¬ 
pire  of  laws,  order,  tranquillity,  and  all  other  social 
guarantees  being  thus  reestablished,”  &,c.  Cuevas, 
Minister  of  the  Interior,  publishes  a  Circular  addressed 
to  the  Governors  of  the  Departments  to  the  same  ef¬ 
fect,  adding,  that  “  in  consideration  of  the  inhabitants 
and  properties  which  required  the  prompt  termination 
of  this  disastrous  revolution,  the  guarantees  of  per¬ 
sonal  safety  solicited  by  the  rebels  have  been  granted, 
but  none  of  their  pretensions  have  been  acceded  to ; 
the  conspiracy  of  the  fifteenth  having  thus  had  no 
other  effect  but  to  make  manifest  the  general  wish 


380 


MADAME  DE  STAEL. 


and  opinion  in  favor  of  the  government,  laws  and 
legitimate  authorities.”  A  similar  circular  is  pub¬ 
lished  by  General  Almonte. 

Having  arrived  at  this  satisfactory  conclusion,  which 
must  be  as  agreeable  to  you  as  it  is  to  us,  I  shall  close 
this  long  letter,  merely  observing,  in  apology,  that  as 
Madame  de  Stael  said,  in  answer  to  the  remark,  that 
“  Women  have  nothing  to  do  with  politics ;  ”  —  “  That 
may  be,  but  when  a  woman’s  head  is  about  to  be  cut 
off,  it  is  natural  she  should  ask  why  ?  ”  so  it  appears 
to  me,  that  when  bullets  are  whizzing  about  our  ears, 
and  shells  falling  within  a  few  yards  of  us,  it  ought 
to  be  considered  extremely  natural  and  quite  feminine 
to  inquire  into  the  cause  of  such  phenomena. 


LETTER  THE  TWENTY-FIFTH. 


Plan  of  the  F ederalists  —  Letter  from  F arias  —  Signing  of  articles 
• — Dispersion  of  the  “  pronunciados  ”  —  Conditions  —  Orders 
of  General  Valencia  —  Of  the  Governor  —  Address  of  General 
Valencia  —  Departure  of  our  guests  —  The  Cosmopolita—  State 
of  the  palace  and  streets —  Bulletin  of  the  firing  —  Interior  of 
houses  —  Escape  of  families  —  Conduct  of  the  troops  —  Coun¬ 
tess  del  V - e  —  Santa  Anna  —  Congress  —  Anecdote  —  Dis¬ 

cussion  in  Congress  —  Leprosy. 


28tlr  July. 

To-day  is  published  the  plan  which  was  formed  by 
the  federalists  for  the  “  political  regeneration  of  the 
republic.”  They  observe,  that  it  is  six  years  since  the 
federal  plan,  adopted  freely  by  the  nation  in  1824, 
was  replaced  by  a  system  which  monopolizes  all  ad¬ 
vantages  in  favor  of  a  few  ;  that  evils  had  now  arrived 
at  that  height,  in  which  the  endeavors  of  a  few  men, 
however  illustrious,  could  have  no  effect  in  remedying 
them  ;  rendering  it  necessary  for  all  Mexicans  to 
unite  in  one  combined  and  energetic  force  to  better 
their  situation  ;  that  salvation  can  only  be  hoped  for 
from  the  nation  itself,  &c.  They  then  proceed  to  lay 
their  plan,  consisting  of  ten  articles,  before  the  public. 

The  first  restores  the  constitution  of  ’24,  the  na¬ 
tional  interests  to  be  reformed  by  a  congress,  com¬ 
posed  of  four  deputies  from  each  state.  By  the 
second,  the  reformed  constitution  is  to  be  submitted 


382 


FEDERAL  PLAN. 


to  the  legislatures  of  the  states  for  approbation.  By 
the  third,  they  engage  to  respect  the  Catholic  religion, 
the  form  of  popular  government,  representative  and 
federal,  the  division  of  powers,  political  liberty  of  the 
press,  the  organization  of  a  military  and  naval  force, 
and  the  equality  of  rights  between  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  nation.  By  the  fourth  article,  a  provisional 
government  is  to  be  established  in  the  capital,  whose 
functions  are  to  be  limited  exclusively  to  the  direction 
of  the  external  relations  of  the  republic.  By  the  fifth, 
this  provisional  government  is  to  be  vested  in  a  Mex¬ 
ican,  re-uniting  the  requisites  for  this  employment,  as 
established  in  the  constitution  of  ’24.  By  the  sixth, 
the  republic  promises  to  give  back  the  ten  per  cent, 
added  to  the  duties  of  consumption,  to  those  who 
have  paid  it  until  now.  By  the  seventh,  in  eight 
months  after  the  triumph  of  the  present  revolution, 
all  interior  custom-houses  are  to  be  suppressed,  and 
henceforth  no  contributions  shall  be  imposed  upon 
the  internal  circulation  of  goods,  whether  foreign  or 
domestic.  By  the  eighth,  they  promise  to  confirm  all 
the  civil  and  military  employments  of  those  w'ho  do 
not  oppose  this  political  regeneration.  By  the  ninth, 
the  army  is  to  be  paid  with  great  punctuality.  By  the 
tenth,  a  general  amnesty  is  promised  to  all  who  have 
committed  political  errors  since  the  Independence  ; 
and  the  names  of  Farias  and  Urrea  are  followed  by 
a  goodly  list  of  Major-Generals,  Colonels,  &c. 

There  is  also  published  a  letter  from  Farias,  indig¬ 
nantly  denying  the  report  of  the  federal  party’s 
having  threatened  to  seize  the  Cathedral  jewels  and 
plate ;  accompanied  by  one  from  the  Archbishop 


CAPITULATION. 


383 


himself,  not  only  denying  the  circumstance,  but  ex¬ 
pressing  his  satisfaction  with  the  conduct  of  the  fed¬ 
eralist  party  in  regard  to  all  the  convents  which  they 
had  occupied,  and  the  respect  which  they  had  shown 
towards  all  things  pertaining  to  the  church. 

On  the  night  of  the  twenty-sixth,  the  articles  of 
capitulation  were  signed  on  both  sides  ;  a  letter  from 
General  Andrade  having  been  received  by  General 
Valencia,  to  the  effect  that  as  General  Urrea  had 
abandoned  the  command  of  the  troops  and  left  it  in 
his  hands,  he,  in  the  name  of  the  other  chiefs  and 
officers,  was  ready  to  ratify  the  conditions  stipulated 
for  by  them  the  preceding  night.  This  was  at  three 
in  the  morning  ;  and  about  eight  o’clock,  the  capitu¬ 
lation  was  announced  to  the  pronunciados  in  the  dif¬ 
ferent  positions  occupied  by  them  ;  and  they  began 
to  disperse  in  different  directions,  in  groups  of  about 
a  hundred,  crying,  “Viva  la  Federacion!”  At  a 
quarter  before  two  o’clock,  General  Manuel  Andrade 
marched  out,  with  all  the  honors  of  war,  to  Tlana- 
pantla,  followed  by  the  pronunciados  of  the  palace. 

This  morning,  at  eleven,  Te  Deum  was  sung  in 
the  cathedral,  there  being  present  the  Archbishop, 
the  President,  and  all  the  authorities.  The  bells, 
which  have  preserved  an  ominous  silence  during 
these  events,  are  now  ringing  forth  in  a  confusion  of 
tongues.  The  palace  being  crippled  with  balls,  and 
in  a  state  of  utter  confusion,  the  President  and  his 
ministers  occupy  cells  in  the  convent  of  San  Agustin. 

The  Federalists  have  marched  out  upon  the  fol¬ 
lowing  conditions:  1st,  Their  lives,  persons,  em¬ 
ployments  and  properties  are  to  be  inviolably  pre- 


384 


CONDITIONS. 


served.  2d,  General  Valencia  engages  to  interpose 
his  influence  with  the  government  by  all  legal  means, 
that  they  may  request  the  chambers  to  proceed  to 
reform  the  constitution.  3d,  All  political  events, 
which  have  occurred  since  the  fifteenth,  up  to  this 
date,  are  to  be  totally  forgotten,  the  forces  who  ad¬ 
hered  to  the  plan  of  the  fifteenth  being  included  in 
this  agreement.  4th,  A  passport  out  of  the  republic 
is  to  be  given  to  whatever  individual,  comprehended 
in  this  agreement,  may  solicit  it.  5th,  The  troops  of 
the  pronunciados  are  to  proceed  to  wherever  General 
Valencia  orders  them,  commanded  by  one  of  their 
own  captains,  whom  he  shall  point  out,  and  who 
must  answer  for  any  disorders  they  may  commit. 
6th,  General  Valencia,  and  all  the  other  generals  of 
his  army,  must  promise,  on  their  honor,  before  the 
whole  world,  to  keep  this  treaty,  and  see  to  its  exact 
accomplishment.  7th,  It  only  applies  to  Mexicans. 
8th,  Whenever  it  is  ratified  by  the  chiefs  of  both 
parties,  it  is  to  be  punctually  fulfilled,  hostilities  be¬ 
ing  suspended  until  six  in  the  morning  of  the  twenty- 
seventh,  which  gives  time  to  ratify  the  conditions. 

The  President  may  exclaim,  “  One  such  victory 
more,  and  I  am  undone  !  ”  Orders  are  issued  by 
General  Valencia  to  the  effect,  that  until  the  Feder¬ 
alist  troops  have  marched  out  of  the  city,  no  group 
passing  five  in  number  will  be  permitted  in  the 
streets  ;  that  until  then,  there  is  to  be  no  trading 
through  the  streets  ;  that  at  three  o’clock  the  eating- 
houses  may  be  thrown  open,  but  not  the  taverns  till 
the  next  day  ;  and  that  the  police  and  alcaldes  of  the 
different  wards  are  held  responsible  for  the  accom- 


governor’s  orders. 


385 


plishment  of  these  orders,  and  may  make  use  of  arm¬ 
ed  force  to  preserve  order. 

The  Governor  enforces  these  orders  with  addi¬ 
tions.  People  must  turn  in  at  nine  o’clock,  or  give 
an  account  of  themselves  —  must  give  up  all  their 
guns,  carbines,  &c.,  to  the  alcalde,  under  a  heavy 
penalty  ;  and  none,  excepting  military  men,  may  go 
on  horseback,  from  five  in  the  evening  until  six  in 
the  morning,  during  five  days. 

General  Valencia  makes  a  pathetic  address  to  his 
soldiers,  and  foretells  that  henceforth  all  mothers, 
wives,  and  old  men,  will  point  them  out  as  they  pass, 
saying,  “  there  go  our  deliverers  !  ”  and  adds  —  “  I 
grow  proud  in  speaking  to  you.”  “  Inhabitants  of 
this  beautiful  Capital !  ”  he  says  again,  “  the  aurora 
of  the  15th  of  July  was  very  different  from  that  of 
the  27th;  that  prognosticated  destruction,  this  rises 
announcing  happiness.  Never  again  will  you  hear 
the  crash  of  cannon,  hut  to  celebrate  the  triumphs  of 
your  country,  or  to  solemnize  your  civic  functions .” 
May  your  words  be  prophetic,  and  especially  may 
you  yourself  assist  in  their  accomplishment. 

29th.  —  Our  guests  have  left  us,  all  but  Monsieur 

- ,  who,  although  recovered,  cannot  yet  be  moved. 

All  money,  plate,  and  jewels  in  our  charge,  are  re¬ 
stored  to  their  rightful  owners  ;  and  the  Spanish 
colors,  which  have  never  been  hoisted,  return  to  their 
former  obscurity.  I  re-open  the  piano,  uncover  and 
tune  the  harp,  and  as  we  have  been  almost  entirely 
shut  up  during  thirteen  days  of  heavenly  weather, 
feel  rejoiced  at  the  prospect  of  getting  out  again.  As 
yet,  I  have  not  seen  the  state  of  things  in  the  city, 
33 


VOL.  I. 


386 


STATE  OF  THE  CITY. 


but  the  “  Cosmopolite  ”  of  to-day  says  —  “  I  should 
wish  to  have  the  pen  of  Jeremiah,  to  describe  the 
desolation  and  calamities  of  this  city,  which  has  been 
the  mistress  of  the  new  world.  In  the  days  of 
mourning  that  have  passed,  we  have  not  been  able 
to  fix  our  eyes  on  any  part  of  it,  where  we  have 
not  encountered  desolation,  weeping,  and  death. 
The  palace  has  become  a  sieve,  and  the  southern 
bulwark  is  destroyed  ;  that  part  of  the  portal  which 
looks  towards  the  Monterilla  is  ruined  ;  the  finest 
buildings  in  the  centre  have  suffered  a  great  deal ; 
innumerable  houses  at  great  distances  from  it  have 
been  also  much  injured  by  stray  balls.  Persons  of 
all  ages,  classes,  and  conditions,  who  interfered  in 
nothing,  have  been  killed,  not  only  in  the  streets,  but 
even  in  their  own  apartments.  The  balls  crossed 
each  other  in  every  direction,  and  the  risk  has  been 
universal.  The  city  has  been  in  the  dark  during 
these  days,  without  patrol  or  watch  ;  and  many  male¬ 
factors  have  taken  advantage  of  this  opportunity,  to 
use  the  murderous  poniard  without  risk  and  with  the 
utmost  perfidy.  At  the  break  of  day,  horrible  spec¬ 
tacles  were  seen,  of  groups  of  dogs  disputing  the  re¬ 
mains  of  a  man,  a  woman,  and  a  child.”  The  “  Cos¬ 
mopolite  ”  goes  on  to  insist  upon  the  necessity  of 
forming  a  new  ministry  and  of  a  reform  in  the  two 
houses. 

*  August  1st.  —  Have  just  come  in  from  a  drive 
through  the  city.  The  palace  and  houses  near  it 
are  certainly  in  a  melancholy  condition.  The  palace, 
witli  its  innumerable  smashed  windows  and  battered 
walls,  looks  as  if  it  had  become  stone  blind  in  con- 


OF  THE  PALACE. 


387 


sequence  of  having  the  small-pox.  Broken  windows 
and  walls  full  of  holes  characterize  all  the  streets  in 
that  direction,  yet  there  is  less  real  damage  done 
than  might  have  been  expected,  after  such  a  furious 
firing  and  cannonading. 

To  read  the  accounts  published,  and  of  the  truth 
of  which  we  had  auricular  demonstration,  one  would 
have  expected  to  find  half  the  city  in  ruins.  Here  is 
the  sum  total  of  the  firing,  as  published.  “On  the 
15th,  firing  from  two  o’clock  till  the  next  day.  On 
the  16th,  continual  firing  till  one  o’clock.  Suspen¬ 
sion  till  four  o’clock.  Firing  from  that  hour,  without 
intermission,  till  the  following  day.  17th,  firing 
from  morning  till  night.  18th,  firing  from  before 
day-break  till  the  evening.  19th,  continual  firing. 
Constant  emigration  of  families  these  last  four  days. 
20th,  continual  firing  all  day.  Skirmish  at  the  gate 
of  San  Lazaro.  21st,  firing  continued,  though  less 
hotly,  but  in  the  night  with  more  vigor  than  ever. 
22d,  day  of  the  Junta  in  the  Archbishop’s  palace. 
Firing  began  at  eleven  at  night,  and  lasted  till  morn¬ 
ing.  23d,  firing  till  mid-day.  Parley.  24th,  for¬ 
midable  firing,  terrible  attack,  and  firing  till  morn¬ 
ing.  25th,  firing  till  the  evening.  26th,  firing  from 
six  in  the  morning  till  two  o’clock.  Capitulation 
that  night.” 

As  “  every  bullet  has  its  billet,”  they  must  all  have 
lodged  somewhere.  Of  course,  nothing  else  is  talked 
of  as  yet,  and  every  one  has  his  own  personal  expe¬ 
riences  to  recount.  Some  houses  have  become  nearly 
uninhabitable  —  glass,  pictures,  clocks,  plaster,  all 
lying  in  morsels  about  the  floor,  and  air-holes  in  the 


388 


INTERIOR  OF  THE  HOUSES. 


roofs  and  walls,  through  which  these  winged  messen¬ 
gers  of  destruction  have  passed.  Ladies  and  children 
escaped,  in  many  instances,  by  the  azoteas,  going 
along  the  street  from  one  roof  to  another,  not  being 
able  to  pass  where  the  cannon  was  planted.  The 

Senora - ,  with  her  six  beautiful  boys,  escaped  in 

that  way  to  her  brother’s  house,  in  the  evening,  and 
in  the  very  thick  of  the  firing.  I  was  in  her  draw¬ 
ing-room  to-day,  which  has  a  most  forlorn  appear¬ 
ance  ;  the  floor  covered  with  heaps  of  plaster,  broken 
pictures,  bullets,  broken  glass,  &c.,  the  windows  out, 
and  holes  in  the  wall  that  look  as  if  they  were  made 
for  the  pipe  of  a  stove  to  fit  into. 

The  soldiers  of  both  parties,  who  occupied  the 
roofs  of  the  houses,  behaved  with  great  civility ;  their 
officers,  on  many  occasions,  sending  to  the  family 
with  a  request  that  they  would  complain  of  any  inso¬ 
lence  that  might  be  shewn  by  their  men.  But  no 
civility  could  ensure  the  safety  of  the  dwellers  in 
these  houses. 

The  poor  nuns  have  been  terribly  frightened,  and 
have  passed  these  stormy  nights  in  prayers  and 
hymns,  which  those  who  live  near  their  convents  say 
were  frequently  heard  at  midnight,  in  the  intervals  of 
the  firing. 

I  went  to  see  the  Countess  de  V - e,  and  she 

showed  me  the  great  hole  in  the  wall  by  her  bed¬ 
side,  through  which  the  shell  made  its  entree.  The 
fragments  are  still  lying  there,  so  heavy  that  I  could 
not  lift  them.  All  the  windows  at  the  head  of  that 
street  are  broken  in  pieces.  The  shops  are  re¬ 
opened,  however,  and  people  are  going  about  their 


LETTER  FROM  SANTA  ANNA. 


389 


usual  avocations,  pretty  much  as  if  nothing  had 
happened ;  and  probably  the  whole  result  of  all  this 
confusion  and  destruction  will  be  —  a  change  of 
ministry. 

Santa  Anna,  finding  that  he  was  not  wanted,  has 
modestly  retired  to  Manga  de  Clavo,  and  has  ad¬ 
dressed  the  following  letter  to  the  Minister  of  War  : 

“  The  triumph  which  the  national  arms  have  just 
obtained  over  the  horrible  attempts  of  anarchy,  com¬ 
municated  to  me  by  your  Excellency,  in  your  note  of 
the  27  th,  is  very  worthy  of  being  celebrated  by  every 
citizen  who  desires  the  welfare  of  his  country,  always 
supposing  that  public  vengeance  (la  vindicta  publica ) 
has  been  satisfied ;  and  in  this  case,  I  offer  you  a 
thousand  congratulations.  This  division,  although 
filled  with  regret  at  not  having  participated  on  this 
occasion  in  the  risks  of  our  companions  in  arms,  are 
rejoiced  at  so  fortunate  an  event,  and  hope  that  energy 
and  a  wholesome  severity  will  now  strengthen  order 
forever,  and  will  begin  an  era  of  felicity  for  the 
country.  The  happy  event  has  been  celebrated 
here,  in  the  fortress,  and  in  Tepeyahualco,  where 
the  first  brigade  had  already  arrived,  (and  whom  I 
have  ordered  to  counter-march,)  with  every  demon¬ 
stration  of  joy.  I  anxiously  desire  to  receive  the 
details  which  your  Excellency  offers  to  communicate 
to  me,  so  that  if  the  danger  has  entirely  ceased,  I 
may  return  to  my  hacienda ,  and  may  lay  down  the 
command  of  those  troops  which  your  Excellency 
orders  me  to  preserve  here. 

“  With  sentiments  of  the  most  lively  joy  for  the  ces- 
33* 


390 


CONGRESS. 


sation  of  the  misfortunes  of  the  capital,  I  reiterate  to 
your  Excellency  those  of  ray  particular  esteem. 

“  God  and  Liberty. 

“  Antonio  Lopez  de  Santa  Anna. 

“Perote,  July  29,  1S40.” 

The  houses  of  Congress  are  again  opened.  The 
ministers  presented  themselves  in  the  Chamber  of 
Deputies,  and  a  short  account  of  the  late  revolution 
was  given  by  General  Almonte,  who  by  the  way  was 
never  taken  prisoner,  as  was  at  first  reported.  He 
had  gone  out  to  ride  early  in  the  morning,  when 
General  Urrea,  with  some  soldiers,  rode  up  to  him 
and  demanded  his  sword  ;  telling  him  that  the  Presi¬ 
dent  was  arrested.  For  all  answer,  Almonte  drew 
his  sword,  and  fighting  his  way  through  them,  gal¬ 
loped  to  the  citadel.  Urrea,  riding  back,  passed  by 
Almonte’s  house,  and  politely  taking  off  his  hat, 
saluted  the  ladies  of  the  family,  hoped  they  were 
well,  and  remarked  on  the  fineness  of  the  weather. 
They  were  not  a  little  astonished  when,  a  short  time 
after,  they  heard  what  had  happened. 

Madame  de  C -  and  her  daughter  were  out 

riding  when  the  firing  began  on  the  morning  of  the 
revolution,  and  galloped  home  in  consternation. 

7 t/i.  —  A  long  discussion  to-day  in  Congress  on 
the  propriety  of  granting  extraordinary  powers  to  the 
President ;  also  a  publication  of  the  despatches  writ¬ 
ten  by  Gomez  Farias  during  the  revolution.  He 
speaks  with  the  utmost  confidence  of  the  success  of 
his  enterprise.  In  his  first  letter,  he  observes  that 
General  Urrea,  with  the  greater  part  of  the  garrison 


GOMEZ  FARIAS. 


391 


and  people  of  the  capital,  have  pronounced  for  the  re¬ 
establishment  of  the  federal  system,  and  have,  by  the 
most  fortunate  combination  of  circumstances,  got 
possession  of  the  palace,  and  arrested  the  President. 
That  troops  have  been  passing  over  to  them  all  day, 
and  that  the  triumph  of  the  federalists  is  so  sure,  he 
has  little  doubt  that  the  following  morning  will  see 
tranquillity  and  federalism  reestablished.  The  dif¬ 
ferent  accounts  of  the  two  parties  are  rather  amusing. 
It  is  said  that  Gomez  Farias  is  concealed  in  Mex¬ 
ico . 

8th.  —  Paid  a  visit  to-day,  where  the  lady  of  the 
house  is  a  leper  ;  though  it  is  supposed  that  all  who 
are  afflicted  with  this  scourge  are  sent  to  the  hospital 
of  San  Lazaro . 

We  rode  before  breakfast  this  morning  to  the  old 
church  of  La  Pied  ad,  and  on  our  return,  found  a 
packet  containing  letters  from  London,  Paris,  New 
York,  and  Madrid.  The  arrival  of  the  English 
packet,  which  brings  all  these  nouveantes,  is  about 
the  most  interesting  event  that  occurs  here. 


LETTER  THE  TWENTY-SIXTH. 


Visiters  —  Virgin  de  los  Remedios  —  Encarnacion  —  Fears  of  the 
nuns  —  Santa  Teresa  —  Rainy  season  —  Amusing  scene  — 
“  Estd  d  la  disposition  de  V —  Mexican  sincerity  —  Texian 
vessels  —  F ine  hair  —  School  mistress  —  Climate  —  Its  effects 

—  Nerves  —  Tours  de  force  —  Anniversary  —  Speech  —  Paseo 

—  San  Angel  —  Tacubaya  —  Army  of  “  the  three  guarantees  ” 

—  Plan  of  Yguala — A  murder  —  Indian  politeness  —  Drunk¬ 
enness  —  Senor  Canedo  —  Revolutions  in  Mexico  —  The  Perion 

—  The  baths  —  General  -  —  Situation  and  view  —  Indian 

family  —  Of  the  boiling  springs — Capabilities  —  Solitude  — 
Chapultepec  —  Th e  Desagravios —  Penitence  at  San  Francis¬ 
co  —  Discipline  of  the  men  —  Discourse  of  the  monk  —  Dark¬ 
ness  and  horrors  —  Salmagundi. 


August  30th. 

In  the  political  world  nothing  very  interesting  has 
occurred,  and  as  yet  there  is  no  change  of  ministry. 

Yesterday  morning,  C - n  set  off  in  a  coach  and 

six  for  the  valley  of  Toluca,  about  eighteen  leagues 

from  Mexico,  with  a  rich  Spaniard,  Senor  M - r 

y  T - n,  who  has  a  large  hacienda  there. 

Last  Sunday  morning,  being  the  first  Sunday  since 
the  revolution,  we  had  forty  visiters  —  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  English,  French,  Spanish  and  Mexican. 
Such  varieties  of  dresses  and  languages  I  have  sel¬ 
dom  seen  united  in  one  room  ;  and  so  many  anec¬ 
dotes  connected  with  the  pronunciamento  as  were 
related,  some  grave,  some  ludicrous,  that  would  form 


TEARS  OF  THE  NUNS. 


393 


a  volume  !  The  Baron  de - having  just  left  this 

for  your  part  of  the  world,  you  will  learn  by  him  the 
last  intelligence  of  it  and  of  us. 

As  there  is  a  want  of  rain,  the  Virgin  de  los  Re- 
medios  was  brought  into  Mexico,  but  as  there  is  still 
a  slight  ripple  on  the  face  of  the  lately  troubled 
waters,  she  was  carried  in  privately  —  for  all  reunions 
of  people  are  dreaded  at  this  juncture.  I  had  just 
prepared  pieces  of  velvet  and  silk  to  hang  on  the 
balconies,  when  I  found  that  the  procession  had  gone 
by  a  back  street  after  sunset. 

I  went  lately  to  visit  the  nuns  of  the  Encarnacion, 
to  inquire  how  they  had  stood  their  alarms,  for  their 
convent  had  been  filled  with  soldiers,  and  they  had 
been  in  the  very  heart  of  the  firing.  I  was  welcomed 
by  a  figure  covered  from  head  to  foot  with  a  double 
black  crape  veil,  who  expressed  great  joy  at  seeing 
me  again,  and  told  me  she  was  one  of  the  madres 
who  received  us  before.  She  spoke  with  horror  of 
the  late  Revolution,  and  of  the  state  of  fear  and 
trembling  in  which  they  had  passed  their  time  ;  sol¬ 
diers  within  their  very  walls,  and  their  prayers  inter¬ 
rupted  by  volleys  of  cannon.  Thanks  to  the  inter¬ 
cession  of  the  Virgin,  no  accident  had  occurred  ;  but 
she  added,  that  had  the  Virgin  of  los  Remedios  been 
brought  in  sooner,  these  disorders  might  never  have 
taken  place. 

I  went  from  thence  to  the  convent  of  Santa  Tere¬ 
sa,  where  I  saw  no  one,  but  discoursed  with  a  num¬ 
ber  of  voices,  from  the  shrill  treble  of  the  old  Madre 
Priora,  to  the  full,  cheerful  tones  of  my  friend,  the 
Madre  A - .  There  is  something  rather  awful  in 


394 


RAINY  SEASON. 


sending  one’s  voice  in  this  way  into  an  unknown  re¬ 
gion,  and  then  listening  for  a  response  from  the  un¬ 
seen  dwellers  there.  I  have  not  yet  been  inside  this 
convent,  but  now  that  affairs  are  settled  for  the  pres¬ 
ent,  I  trust  that  the  Archbishop  will  kindly  grant  his 
permission  to  that  effect. 

The  rainy  season  is  now  at  its  height ;  that  is,  it 
rains  severely  every  evening,  but  in  the  morning  it  is 
lovely.  The  disagreeable  part  of  it  is,  that  the  roads 
are  so  bad,  it  is  difficult  to  continue  our  rides  in  the 
environs.  Horse  and  rider,  after  one  of  these  expe¬ 
ditions,  appear  to  have  been  taking  a  mud-bath.  It 
is  very  amusing  to  stand  at  the  window  about  four 
o’clock,  and  see  every  one  suddenly  caught  in  the 
most  tremendous  shower.  In  five  minutes  the  streets 
become  rivers ;  and  canoes  would  be  rather  more 
useful  than  carriages.  Strong  porters  (cargadores) 
are  in  readiness  to  carry  well-dressed  gentlemen  or 
women  who  are  caught  in  the  deluge,  across  the 
streets.  Coachmen  and  footmen  have  their  great 
coats  prepared  to  draw  on  ;  and  all  horsemen  have 
their  sarapes  strapped  behind  their  saddles,  in  which, 
with  their  shining  leather  hats,  they  can  brave  the 
storm.  Trusting  to  an  occasional  cessation  of  rain, 
which  sometimes  takes  place,  people  continue  to  go 
out  in  the  evening,  but  it  is  downright  cruelty  to 
coachman  and  animals,  unless  the  visit  is  to  a  house 
with  a  porte-cochere,  which  many  of  the  houses  have 
—  this  amongst  others. 

September  1st.  —  Had  a  dispute  this  morning  with 
an  Englishman,  who  complains  bitterly  of  Mexican 
insincerity.  I  believe  the  chief  cause  of  this  com- 


“  ESTA  A  LA  DISPOSICION  DE  V.”  395 

plaint  amongst  foreigners  consists  in  their  attaching 
the  slightest  value  to  the  common  phrase,  “  Esta  a 
la  disposition  de  V .”  Everything  is  placed  at  your 
disposal  —  house,  carriage,  servants,  horses,  mules, 
&c.,  —  the  lady’s  ear-rings,  the  gentleman’s  diamond 
pin,  the  child’s  frock.  You  admire  a  ring  —  it  is 
perfectly  at  your  service  ;  a  horse  —  ditto.  Letters 
are  dated  “  from  your  house  ;  ”  (de  la  casa  de  V.) 
Some  from  ignorance  of  the  custom,  and  others  from 
knavery,  take  advantage  of  these  offers,  which  are 
mere  expressions  of  civility,  much  to  the  confusion 
and  astonishment  of  the  polite  offerer,  who  has  no 
more  intention  of  being  credited,  than  you  have 
when,  from  common  etiquette,  you  sign  yourself  the 
very  humble  servant  of  the  very  greatest  bore.  It  is 
a  mere  habit,  and  to  call  people  who  indulge  in  it 
insincere,  reminds  me  of  the  Italian  mentioned  some¬ 
where  by  Lady  Blessington,  who  thought  he  had 
made  a  conquest  of  a  fair  Englishwoman,  though 
somewhat  shocked  by  her  forwardness,  because  in 
an  indifferent  note  to  him,  she  signed  herself,  “  Truly 
yours.”  Shall  I  ever  forget  the  crest-fallen  counte¬ 
nance  of  a  Mexican  gentleman  who  had  just  pur¬ 
chased  a  very  handsome  set  of  London  harness, 
when  hearing  it  admired  by  a  Frenchman,  he  gave 
the  customary  answer,  “  It  is  quite  at  your  disposal,” 
and  was  answered  by  a  profusion  of  bows,  and  a 
ready  acceptance  of  the  offer  !  the  only  difficulty 
with  the  Frenchman  being  as  to  whether  or  not  he 
could  carry  it  home  under  his  cloak,  which  he  did. 

If  all  these  offers  of  service,  in  which  it  is  Mexican 
etiquette  to  indulge,  be  believed  in  —  “  Remember  that 


396 


TEXIAN  VESSELS. 


I  am  here  but  to  serve  you  ”  —  “  My  house  and 
everything  in  it,  is  quite  at  your  disposal  ”  —  “  Com¬ 
mand  me  in  all  things ;  ”  we  shall  of  course  be  dis¬ 
appointed  by  finding  that  notwithstanding  these  re¬ 
iterated  assurances,  we  must  hire  a  house  for  our¬ 
selves,  and  even  servants  to  wait  on  us  ;  but  take 
these  expressions  at  what  they  are  worth,  and  I 
believe  we  shall  find  that  people  here  are  about  as 
sincere  as  their  neighbors. 

8th.  —  A  good  deal  of  surmise,  because  four  Tex- 
ian  vessels  are  cruising  in  the  bay  off  Vera  Cruz. 
There  is  also  a  good  deal  of  political  talk,  but  I  have 
no  longer  Madame  de  Stael’s  excuse  for  interfering 
in  politics,  which,  by  the  way,  is  a  subject  on  which 
almost  all  Mexican  women  are  well  informed  ;  pos¬ 
sessing  practical  knowledge,  the  best  of  all,  like  a 
lesson  in  geography  given  by  travelling.  I  fear  we 
live  in  a  Paradise  Lost,  which  will  not  be  Regained 
in  our  day.  .  .  . 

My  attention  is  attracted,  while  I  write,  by  the 
apparition  of  a  beautiful  girl  in  the  opposite  balcony, 
with  hair  of  a  golden  brown,  hanging  in  masses 
down  to  her  feet.  This  is  an  uncommon  color  here ; 
but  the  hair  of  the  women  is  generally  very  long 
and  fine.  It  rarely  or  never  curls.  We  were  amused 
the  other  day,  in  passing  by  a  school  of  little  boys 
and  girls,  kept  in  a  room  on  the  first  floor  of  Senor 

- ’s  house,  to  see  the  school-mistress,  certainly  not 

in  a  very  elegant  dishabille,  marching  up  and  down 
with  a  spelling-book  in  her  hand,  her  long  hair  hang¬ 
ing  down,  and  trailing  on  the  floor  a  good  half  yard 
behind  her  ;  while  every  time  she  turned,  she  switch¬ 
ed  it  round  like  a  court  train.  .  .  . 


CLIMATE. 


397 


You  ask  me  about  this  climate,  for - .  For  one 

who  like  her,  is  in  perfect  health,  I  should  think  it 
excellent ;  and  even  an  invalid  has  only  to  travel  a 
few  hours,  and  he  arrives  at  tierra  caliente.  This 
climate  is  that  of  the  tropics,  raised  some  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  ;  consequently  there  is 
an  extreme  purity  and  thinness  of  the  atmosphere, 
which  generally  affects  the  breathing  at  first.  In 
some,  it  causes  an  oppression  on  the  chest.  On  me, 
it  had  little  effect,  if  any  ;  and  at  all  events,  the  feel¬ 
ing  goes  off,  after  the  first  month  or  so.  There  is  a 
general  tendency  to  nervous  irritation,  and  to  inflam¬ 
matory  complaints,  and  during  September  and  Octo¬ 
ber,  on  account  of  the  heavy  rains  and  the  drained 
lakes  on  which  part  of  the  city  is  built,  there  is  said 
to  be  a  good  deal  of  ague.  Since  the  time  of  the 
cholera  in  1833,  which  committed  terrible  ravages 
here,  there  has  been  no  other  epidemic.  The  small 
pox  indeed  has  been  very  common  lately,  but  it  is 
owing  to  the  carelessness  of  the  common  people,  or 
rather  to  their  prejudice  against  having  their  children 
vaccinated. 

The  nervous  complaints  of  the  ladies  are  an  un¬ 
failing  source  of  profit  to  the  sons  of  Galen,  for  they 
seem  to  be  incurable.  Having  no  personal  experi¬ 
ence  of  these  evils,  I  only  speak  from  what  I  see  in' 
others.  It  appears  to  me  that  the  only  fault  of  the 
climate  consists  in  its  being  monotonously  perfect, 
which  is  a  great  drawback  to  easy  and  polite  con¬ 
versation.  The  evening  deluge  is  but  a  periodical 
watering  of  the  earth,  from  which  it  rises  like  Ve- 
34 


VOL.  I. 


398 


CELEBRATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


nus  from  the  sea,  more  lovely  and  refreshed  than 
ever. 

C - n  has  returned  from  Toluca,  after  an  ab¬ 
sence  of  eight  days . Every  one  is  hurrying  to 

the  Theatre  just  now,  in  spite  of  the  rain,  to  see  some 
Spaniards,  who  are  performing  tours  de  force  there. 

16^.  —  Celebration  of  the  Day  of  Independence. 
Anniversary  of  the  “  Glorioso  Grito  de  Dolores,”  of 
September  the  16th,  1810  ;  of  the  Revolution  begun 
thirty  years  ago,  by  the  curate  of  the  village  of  Do¬ 
lores,  in  the  province  of  Guanajuato.  “  It  is  very 
easy,”  says  Zavala,  and  it  is  about  his  most  sensible 
remark,  “  to  put  a  country  into  combustion,  when  it 
possesses  the  elements  of  discord  ;  but  the  difficulties 
of  its  reorganization  are  indefinite.” 

A  speech  was  made  by  General  Tornel  in  the 
Alameda.  All  the  troops  were  out  —  plenty  of  offi¬ 
cers,  monks,  priests  and  ladies  in  full  dress.  We  did 

not  go  to  hear  the  speech,  but  went  to  the  E - s 

house  to  see  the  procession,  which  was  very  magnifi¬ 
cent.  The  line  of  carriages  was  so  deep,  that  I 
thought  we  should  never  arrive.  After  all  was  over, 
we  walked  in  the  Alameda,  where  temporary  booths 
were  erected,  and  the  trees  were  hung  with  garlands 
and  flowers.  The'  Paseo  in  the  evening  was  ex¬ 
tremely  gay  ;  but  I  cannot  say  that  there  appeared  to 
be  much  enthusiasm  or  public  spirit.  They  say  that 
the  great  difficulty  experienced  by  the  Junta,  named 
on  these  occasions  for  the  preparation  of  the  festivi¬ 
ties,  is  to  collect  sufficient  funds. 

J9 th.  — We  went  yesterday  to  San  Angel,  one  of 
the  prettiest  villages  in  the  environs  of  Mexico,  and 


PLAN  OF  IGUALA. 


399 


spent  the  day  at  the  hacienda  of  Senor  T - e, 

which  is  in  the  neighborhood.  The  rain  has  ren¬ 
dered  the  roads  almost  impassable,  and  the  country 
round  Mexico  must  be  more  like  Cortes’s  description 
of  it  at  this  season,  than  at  any  other  period.  One 
part  of  the  road  near  the  hacienda,  which  is  entirely 
destroyed,  the  owner  of  the  house  wished  to  repair ; 
but  the  Indians,  who  claim  that  part  of  the  land,  will 
not  permit  the  innovation,  though  he  offered  to  throw 
a  bridge  over  a  small  stream  which  passes  there,  at 
his  own  expense. 

24th.  —  We  passed  a  pleasant  day  at  Tacubaya, 

and  dined  with  Monsieur  S - ,  who  gave  a  fete  ; 

in  consequence  of  its  being  his  wife’s  saint’s  day. 

21th.  —  Great  fete;  being  the  anniversary  of  the 
day  on  which  the  army  called  trigarante  (the  three 
guarantees)  entered  Mexico  with  Yturbide  at  their 
head.  The  famous  plan  of  Iguala,  (so  called  from 
having  first  been  published  in  that  city,)  was  also 
called  the  plan  of  the  three  guarantees  ;  freedom, 
union  and  religion,  which  were  offered  as  a  security 
to  the  Spaniards,  against  whom  so  many  cruelties 
had.  been  exercised.  We  have  had  ringing  of  bells 
and  firing  all  the  morning,  and  in  the  evening  there 
is  to  be  a  bull-fight,  followed  by  the  exhibition  of  the 
tours  de  force  of  these  Spaniards,  commonly  called 
here  “  los  Hercules ,”  who  have  just  come  to  offer  us 
a  box  in  the  Plaza. 

This  plan  of  Iguala  was  certainly  the  only  means 
by  which  Spain  could  have  continued  to  preserve 
these  vast  and  distant  possessions.  The  treaty  of 
Cordova,  which  confirmed  it,  was  signed  in  that  city 


400 


ARTICLES  OF  THIS  PLAN. 


between  the  Spanish  General  O’Donoju  and  Don 
Agustin  Yturbide,  in  August  1821,  and  consisted  of 
seventeen  articles. 

By  the  first,  Mexico  was  to  be  acknowledged  as  a 
free  and  independent  nation,  under  the  title  of  the 
Mexican  Empire. 

By  the  second,  its  government  was  to  be  a  consti¬ 
tutional  monarchy. 

By  the  third,  Ferdinand  the  Seventh,  Catholic  King 
of  Spain,  was  called  to  the  throne  of  Mexico  ;  and 
should  he  renounce  or  refuse  the  throne,  it  was 
offered  to  his  brother  the  Infant  Don  Carlos,  and  un¬ 
der  the  same  circumstances,  to  each  brother  in  suc¬ 
cession. 

By  the  fourth,  the  Emperor  was  to  fix  his  court  in 
Mexico,  which  was  to  be  considered  the  capital  of 
the  Empire. 

By  the  fifth  two  commissioners  named  by  O’Don¬ 
oju  were  to  pass  over  to  the  Spanish  Court,  to  place 
the  copy  of  the  treaty  and  of  the  accompanying 
exposition,  in  his  Majesty’s  hands,  to  serve  him  as 
an  antecedent,  until  the  Cortes  should  offer  him 
the  crown  with  all  formality ;  requesting  him  to  in¬ 
form  the  Infantes  of  the  order  in  which  they  were 
named ;  interposing  his  influence  in  order  that  the 
Emperor  of  Mexico  should  be  one  of  his  august 
house,  for  the  interest  of  both  nations,  and  that  the 
Mexicans  might  add  this  link  to  the  chain  of  friend¬ 
ship  which  united  them  with  the  Spaniards. 

By  the  sixth  a  Junta  of  the  first  men  in  Mexico ; 
first  by  their  virtues,  position,  fortune,  &c.,  was  to  be 
named,  sufficient  in  number  to  ensure  success  in  their 


ARTICLES  OF  THIS  PLAN. 


401 


resolutions  by  .the  union  of  so  much  talent  and  infor¬ 
mation. 

By  the  seventh  this  Junta  takes  the  name  of  Ad¬ 
ministrative  Provisional  Junta. 

By  the  eighth  O’Donoju  was  named  member  of 
this  Junta. 

By  the  ninth  this  Junta  was  to  name  a  President. 

By  the  tenth  it  was  to  inform  the  public  of  its  in¬ 
stallation,  and  of  the  motives  which  had  caused  it  to 
meet. 

By  the  eleventh  this  assembly  was  to  name  a  Re¬ 
gency,  composed  of  three  persons,  to  compose  the 
executive  power,  and  to  govern  in  the  name  of  the 
Monarch,  until  his  arrival. 

By  the  twelfth  the  Junta  was  then  to  govern  con¬ 
formably  to  the  laws,  in  everything  which  did  not 
oppose  the  plan  of  Iguala,  and  till  the  Cortes  had 
formed  the  constitution  of  the  state. 

By  the  thirteenth,  the  Regency,  as  soon  as  they 
were  named,  were  to  proceed  to  the  convocation  of 
the  Cortes,  according  to  the  method  decreed  by  the 
provisional  Junta. 

By  the  fourteenth,  the  executive  power  was  to  re¬ 
side  in  the  Regency  - —  the  legislative  in  the  Cortes 
—  but  until  the  reunion  of  the  Cortes,  the  legislative 
power  was  to  be  exercised  by  the  Junta. 

By  the  fifteenth,  all  persons  belonging  to  the  com¬ 
munity,  the  system  of  government  being  changed,  or 
the  country  passing  into  the  power  of  another  prince, 
were  perfectly  at  liberty  to  transport  themselves  and 
their  fortunes  wherever  they  chose,  &c.,  &c. 

By  the  sixteenth,  this  does  not  hold  good  in  regard 
34* 


402 


A  MURDER. 


to  the  military  or  public  employes  disaffected  to  the 
Mexican  independence ;  they  will  leave  the  Empire 
within  the  term  prescribed  by  the  Regency,  &.c.,  &c. 

By  the  seventeenth  and  last,  as  the  occupation  of 
the  capital  by  the  peninsular  troops  is  an  obstacle  to 
the  realization  of  the  treaty,  this  difficulty  must  be 
vanquished  ;  but  as  the  chief  of  the  Imperial  army 
desires  to  bring  this  about,  not  by  force,  but  by  gen¬ 
tler  means,  General  O’Donoju  offers  to  employ  his 
authority  with  the  troops,  that  they  may  leave  the 
capital  without  any  effusion  of  blood,  and  by  an  hon¬ 
orable  treaty.  This  treaty  was  signed  by  Yturbide 
and  O’Donoju. 

Had  this  plan  of  Iguala  taken  effect,  what  would 
have  been  the  result  in  Mexico?  —  what  its  present 
condition  ?  .  .  .  . 

This  being  Sunday,  and  a  fete-day,  a  man  was 
murdered  close  by  our  door,  in  a  quarrel  brought 
about  probably  through  the  influence  of  pulque,  or 
rather  of  chinguirite.  If  they  did  not  so  often  end 
in  deadly  quarrel,  there  would  be  nothing  so  amusing 
as  to  watch  the  Indians  gradually  becoming  a  little 
intoxicated.  They  are  at  first  so  polite  —  handing 
the  pulque  jar  to  their  fair  companions  ;  (fair  being 
taken  in  the  general  or  Pickwickian  sense  of  the 
word)  always  taking  off  their  hats  to  each  other, 
and  if  they  meet  a  woman,  kissing  her  hand  with  a 
humble  bow  as  if  she  were  a  duchess  ;  —  but  these 
same  women  are  sure  to  be  the  cause  of  a  quarrel, 
and  then  out  come  these  horrible  knives  —  and 
then,  Adios  ! 

It  is  impossible  to  conceive  anything  more  humble 


INDIAN  POLITENESS. 


403 


and  polite  than  the  common  country  people.  Men 
and  women  stop  and  wish  you  a  good  day,  the  men 
holding  their  hats  in  their  hands,  and  all  showing 
their  white  teeth,  and  faces  lighted  up  by  careless 
good  nature.  I  regret  to  state,  however,  that  to-day 
there  are  a  great  many  women  quite  as  tipsy  as  the 
men,  returning  home  after  the  fete,  and  increasing 
the  distance  to  their  village,  by  taking  a  zigzag 
direction  through  the  streets . 

Sehor  Cahedo,  Secretary  of  State,  has  formally  an¬ 
nounced  his  intention  of  resigning.  Certainly  the 
situation  of  premier  in  Mexico,  at  this  moment,  is  far 
from  enviable,  and  the  more  distinguished  and  clear¬ 
headed  the  individual,  the  more  plainly  he  perceives 
the  impossibility  of  remedying  the  thickly-gathering 
evils  which  crowd  the  political  horizon.  “  Revolu¬ 
tion,”  says  Sehor  de  - “  has  followed  revolution 

since  the  Independence  ;  no  stable  government  has 
yet  been  established.  Had  it  been  so,  Mexico  would 
have  offered  to  our  eyes  a  phenomenon  unknown 
until  now  in  the  world  —  that  of  a  people,  without 
previous  preparation,  passing  at  once  to  govern  them¬ 
selves  by  democratical  institutions.” 

28 th.  —  We  drove  out  to  the  Penon,  a  natural  boiling 
fountain,  where  there  are  baths,  which  are  considered 
a  universal  remedy,  a  pool  of  Bethesda,  but  an  espe¬ 
cial  one  for  rheumatic  complaints.  The  baths  are  a 
square  of  low  stone  buildings,  with  a  church  —  each 
building  containing  five  or  six  empty  rooms,  in  one 
of  which  is  a  square  bath.  The  idea  seems  to  have 
been  to  form  a  sort  of  dwelling-house  for  different  fam¬ 
ilies,  as  each  baih  has  a  small  kitchen  attached  to  it. 


404 


PENON  BATHS. 


Like  most  great  ideas  of  Spanish  days,  it  is  now  in 
a  state  of  perfect  desolation,  though  people  still 
flock  there  for  various  complaints.  When  one  goes 
there  to  bathe,  it  is  necessary  to  carry  a  mattress,  to 
lie  down  on  when  you  leave  the  bath,  linen,  a  bot¬ 
tle  of  cold  water,  of  which  there  is  not  a  drop  in  the 
place,  and  which  is  particularly  necessary  for  an  in¬ 
valid  in  case  of  faintness  —  in  short,  everything  that 
you  may  require.  A  poor  family  live  there  to  take 
charge  of  the  baths,  and  there  is  a  small  tavern 
where  they  sell  spirits  and  pulque  ;  and  occasionally 
a  padre  comes  on  Sunday  to  say  mass  in  the  old 
church. 

We  were  amused  by  meeting  there  with  General 

- and  his  family,  who  had  brought  with  them  a 

whole  coach-load  of  provisions,  besides  mattresses, 
sheets,  &c.  The  road  to  the  Penon  crosses  the  most 
dreary  plain  imaginable.  Behind  the  baths  are  two 
volcanic  hills  ;  and  the  view  of  Mexico  and  of  the 
great  volcanoes  from  this  is  magnificent.  It  is 
the  most  solitary  of  buildings ;  not  a  tree  to  be 
seen  in  its  environs ;  these  volcanic  rocks  behind  — 
Mexico  fronting  it  —  the  great  lakes  near  it  —  to  the 
right  Guadalupe  —  to  the  left  San  Angel,  San 
Agustin  and  the  mountains  which  bound  the  valley. 
The  Indian  family  who  live  there  are  handsome  sav¬ 
ages  ;  and  the  girl  who  attended  me  at  the  bath, 
spoke  an  extraordinary  jargon,  half  Spanish,  half 
Indian,  but  was  a  fine  specimen  of  savage  good 
looks.  The  water  is  extremely  warm,  and  my 
curiosity  to  try  its  temperature  was  very  soon  satis¬ 
fied. 


CAPABILITIES. 


405 


These  boiling  springs  are  said  to  contain  sulphate 
of  lime,  carbonic  acid  and  muriate  of  soda,  and  the 
Indians  make  salt  in  their  neighborhood,  precisely  as 
they  did  in  the  time  of  Montezuma,  with  the  differ¬ 
ence,  as  Humboldt  informs  us,  that  then  they  used 
vessels  of  clay,  and  now  they  use  copper  caldrons. 
The  solitary-looking  baths  are  ornamented  with  odd¬ 
looking  heads  of  cats  or  monkeys,  which  grin  down 
upon  you  with  a  mixture  of  the  sinister  and  facetious 
rather  appalling. 

The  Senora  de - insisted  on  my  partaking  of 

her  excellent  luncheon  after  the  bath.  We  could 
not  help  thinking,  were  these  baths  in  the  hands  of 
some  enterprising  and  speculative  Yankee,  what  a 
fortune  he  would  make  ;  how  he  would  build  a  hotel 
a  la  Saratoga,  would  paper  the  rooms,  and  otherwise 
beautifjr~this  uncouth  temple  offboiling  water. 

There  is  an  indescribable  feeling  of  solitude  in  all 
houses  in  the  environs  of  Mexico,  a  vastness,  a  deso¬ 
lation,  such  as  I  never  before  experienced  in  the  most 
lonely  dwellings  in  other  countries.  It  is  not  sad  — 
the  sky  is  too  bright,  and  nature  too  smiling,  and  the 
air  we  inhale  too  pure  for  that.  It  is  a  sensation  of 
being  entirely  out  of  the  world,  and  alone  with  a 
giant  nature,  surrounded  by  faint  traditions  of  a  by¬ 
gone  race  ;  and  the  feeling  is  not  diminished,  when 
the  silence  is  broken  by  the  footstep  of  the  passing 
Indian,  the  poor  and  debased  descendant  of  that  ex¬ 
traordinary  and  mysterious  people,  who  came,  we 
know  not  whence,  and  whose  posterity  are  now 
“  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water,”  on  the  soil 
where  they  once  were  monarchs. 


406 


PUBLIC  PENANCE. 


In  Chapultepec  especially,  near  as  it  is  to  a  large 
and  populous  city,  the  traditions  of  the  past  come  so 
strongly  upon  the  mind,  that  one  would  rather  look 
for  the  apparition  of  a  whole  band  of  these  inky- 
haired,  adder-anointed  priests  of  Montezuma,  than 
expect  to  meet  with  the  benevolent-looking  Arch¬ 
bishop,  who  in  purple  robes,  occasionally  walks  under 
the  shade  of  the  majestic  cypresses . 

All  Mexicans  at  present,  men  and  women,  are  en¬ 
gaged  in  what  are  called  the  desagravios,  a  public 
penance  performed  at  this  season  in  the  churches, 
during  thirty-five  days.  The  women  attend  church 
in  the  morning,  no  men  being  permitted  to  enter, 
and  the  men  in  the  evening,  when  women  are  not 
admitted.  Both  rules  are  occasionally  broken.  The 
penitence  of  the  men  is  most  severe,  their  sins  being 
no  doubt  proportionably  greater  than  those  of  the 
women  ;  though  it  is  one  of  the  few  countries  where 
they  suffer  for  this,  or  seem  to  act  upon  the  principle, 
that  “  if  all  men  had  their  deserts,  who  should  escape 
whipping  ?” 

To-day  we  attended  the  morning  penitence  at  six 
o’clock,  in  the  church  of  San  Francisco  ;  the  hardest 
part  of  which  was  their  having  to  kneel  for  about  ten 
minutes  with  their  arms  extended  in  the  form  of  a 
cross,  uttering  groans  ;  a  most  painful  position  for 
any  length  of  time.  It  was  a  profane  thought,  but  I 
dare  say  so  many  hundreds  of  beautifully-formed 
arms  and  hands  were  seldom  seen  extended  at  the 
same  moment  before.  Gloves  not  being  worn  in 
church,  and  many  of  the  women  having  short 
sleeves,  they  were  very  much  seen. 


SAN  AGUSTIN. 


407 


But  the  other  night  I  was  present  at  a  much 
stranger  scene,  at  the  discipline  performed  by  the 
men  ;  admission  having  been  procured  for  us,  by  cer¬ 
tain  means,  'private  but  powerful.  Accordingly  when 
it  was  dark,  enveloped  from  head  to  foot  in  large 
cloaks,  and  without  the  slightest  idea  of  what  it  was, 
we  went  on  foot  through  the  streets  to  the  Church  of 
San  Agustin.  When  we  arrived,  a  small  side  door 
apparently  opened  of  itself,  and  we  entered,  passing 
through  long  vaulted  passages,  and  up  steep  winding 
stairs,  till  we  found  ourselves  in  a  small  railed  gal¬ 
lery,  looking  down  directly  upon  the  church.  The 
scene  was  curious.  About  one  hundred  and  fifty 
men,  enveloped  in  cloaks  and  sarapes,  their  faces  en¬ 
tirely  concealed,  were  assembled  in  the  body  of  the 
church.  A  monk  had  just  mounted  the  pulpit,  and 
the  church  was  dimly  lighted,  except  where  he  stood 
in  bold  relief,  with  his  gray  robes  and  cowl  thrown 
back,  giving  a  full  view  of  his  high  bald  forehead  and 
expressive  face. 

His  discourse  was  a  rude  but  very  forcible  and 
eloquent  description  of  the  torments  prepared  in  hell 
for  impenitent  sinners.  The  effect  of  the  whole 
was  very  solemn.  It  appeared  like  a  preparation  for 
the  execution  of  a  multitude  of  condemned  criminals. 
When  the  discourse  was  finished,  they  all  joined  in 
prayer  with  much  fervor  and  enthusiasm,  beating  their 
breasts  and  falling  upon  their  faces.  Then  the  monk 
stood  up,  and  in  a  very  distinct  voice,  read  several 
passages  of  Scripture  descriptive  of  the  sufferings  of 
Christ.  The  organ  then  struck  up  the  Miserere,  and 
all  of  a  sudden  the  church  was  plunged  in  profound 


408 


SCOURGING. 


darkness  ;  all  but  a  sculptured  representation  of  the 
Crucifixion,  which  seemed  to  hang  in  the  air  illumi¬ 
nated.  I  felt  rather  frightened,  and  would  have  been 
very  glad  to  leave  the  church,  but  it  would  have  been 
impossible  in  the  darkness.  Suddenly,  a  terrible  voice 
in  the  dark  cried  ;  “  My  brothers  !  when  Christ  was 
fastened  to  the  pillar  by  the  Jews,  he  was  scourged!  ” 
At  these  words,  the  bright  figure  disappeared,  and 
the  darkness  became  total.  Suddenly,  we  heard  the 
sound  of  hundreds  of  scourges  descending  upon  the 
bare  flesh.  I  cannot  conceive  anything  more  hor¬ 
rible.  Before  ten  minutes  had  passed,  the  sound 
became  splashing,  from  the  blood  that  was  flowing. 

I  have  heard  of  these  penitences  in  Italian  churches, 
and  also  that  half  of  those  who  go  there,  do  not  really 
scourge  themselves  ;  but  here,  where  there  is  such 
perfect  concealment,  there  seems  no  motive  for  de¬ 
ception.  Incredible  as  it  may  seem,  this  awful  pen¬ 
ance  continued,  without  intermission,  for  half  an 
hour !  If  they  scourged  each  other,  their  energy 
might  be  less  astonishing. 

We  could  not  leave  the  church,  but  it  was  perfectly 
sickening ;  and  had  I  not  been  able  to  take  hold  of 

the  Senora - ’s  hand,  and  feel  something  human 

beside  me,  I  could  have  fancied  myself  transported 
into  a  congregation  of  evil  spirits.  Now  and  then, 
but  very  seldom,  a  suppressed  groan  was  heard,  and 
occasionally  the  voice  of  the  monk  encouraging  them 
by  ejaculations,  or  by  short  passages  from  Scripture. 
Sometimes  the  organ  struck  up,  and  the  poor  wretches, 
in  a  faint  voice,  tried  to  join  in  the  Miserere.  The 
sound  of  the  scourging  is  indescribable.  At  the  end 


SALMAGUNDI. 


409 


of  half  an  hour,  a  little  bell  was  rung,  and  the  voice 
of  the  monk  was  heard,  calling  upon  them  to  desist ; 
but  such  was  their  enthusiasm,  that  the  horrible  lash¬ 
ing  continued  louder  and  fiercer  than  ever. 

In  vain  he  entreated  them  not  to  kill  themselves ; 
and  assured  them  that  Heaven  would  be  satisfied,  and 
that  human  nature  could  not  endure  beyond  a  cer¬ 
tain  point.  No  answer,  but  the  loud  sound  of  the 
scourges,  which  are  many  of  them  of  iron,  with  sharp 
points  that  enter  the  flesh.  At  length,  as  if  they  were 
perfectly  exhausted,  the  sound  grew  fainter,  and  little 
by  little  ceased  altogether.  We  then  got  up  in  the 
dark,  and,  with  great  difficulty,  groped  our  way  in 
the  pitch  darkness  through  the  galleries  and  down 
the  stairs,  till  we  reached  the  door,  and  had  the  plea¬ 
sure  of  feeling  the  fresh  air  again.  They  say  that  the 
church  floor  is  frequently  covered  with  blood  after 
one  of  these  penances,  and  that  a  man  died  the  other 
day  in  consequence  of  his  wounds. 

I  then  went  to  the  house  of  the - Minister, 

where  there  was  a  reunion,  and  where  I  found  the 
company  comfortably  engaged  in  eating  a  very  famous 
kind  of  German  salad,  composed  of  herrings,  smoked 
salmon,  cold  potatoes  and  apples  ;  (salmagundi  ?)  and 
drinking  hot  punch.  After  the  cold,  darkness  and 
horrors  of  the  church,  this  formed  rather  a  contrast ; 
and  it  was  some  time  before  I  could  shake  off  the  dis¬ 
agreeable  impression  left  by  the  desagravios,  and  join 
in  the  conversation.  .  .  . 

Along  with  this  you  will  receive  some  Mexican 
airs,  which  I  have  written  by  ear  from  hearing  them 
played,  and  of  some  of  which  I  gave  you  the  words 
in  a  former  letter. 


VOL.  I. 


35 


MEXICAN  AIRS 


(See  Letters  12th  and  10th.) 


JARAVE  PALOMO. 


MEXICAN  AIRS 


411 


LOS  ENANOS. 


PERICO. 


412 


MEXICAN  AIRS 


EL  AFORRADO. 


END  OF  VOLUME  THE  FIRST. 


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